Worlds Apart

Worlds Apart————————————————

                A commentary

                by J. F. Kelly, Jr.

 

                President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address was, as usual, well delivered but somewhat divorced from reality. Whatever shortcomings this president may have, oratory skills are not among them. But his perception of the world and the challenges we face are quite different from mine and probably most conservatives.

If we have actually turned the corner in this war on terrorism, which he keeps referring to as counterterrorism, then things don’t look any better to me on this side than they did before we turned the corner. As he spoke, Yemen was collapsing, Islamic State still controlled vast areas of Iraq and Syria, Iran was still on the way to acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, Islamic terrorists had struck in France and elsewhere, police had uncovered terrorist plots in Belgium and the United States and Soviet-backed rebels were seeking more territory in eastern Ukraine. If the shadow of crisis has passed, why is it still so dark?

On the economy, the White House and Congress also seem worlds apart, both with regard to the state of the economy and the means to improve it. The shadow of the Great Recession may have passed, but skies aren’t particularly sunny. Unemployment is down but so is the size of the full-time workforce with many discouraged younger and older adults no longer bothering to actively seek work or settling for part-time jobs. Wage stagnation has forced many to take multiple, usually low-paying part-time jobs just to pay the bills.

The recovery that Mr. Obama takes credit for is the weakest in history. The economy simply isn’t providing enough jobs paying decent wages to support a growing population. Things, of course, are even worse in Europe, Japan and elsewhere but that’s scarce comfort.

The president took credit for gains made in achieving energy independence, almost entirely due to natural gas and oil produced by fracking which he did little to encourage and much to discourage. He also took credit for reducing the deficit. But that’s not good enough. We need to end deficit spending, not just reduce it. Any deficit adds to the federal debt which now stands at $19 trillion. That’s $19,000,000,000,000. That’s the bill we are bequeathing to our kids and grand- kids. It takes a long time even to write out the numbers.  It takes an eternity to count it out. It will take forever to pay it back, but it didn’t take very long at all to spend it. This president has added more to the federal debt than all other presidents combined. How’s that for a legacy?

Mr. Obama recognizes that the middle class is getting squeezed. He recognizes that two or more incomes are usually required to support a household; that is, if the household is lucky enough to have two adults able to work. That leaves little time, of course, for parenting. His solution is to increase the child care credit.

Mr. Obama recognizes that unemployment among young males, particularly blacks, is way too high. His solution is to provide two years of free community college. Mr. Obama recognizes that millions of Americans are stuck in minimum wage jobs. “If you think you can support a family on that income,” he said, “you should try it.” The president’s solution is to increase the minimum wage again, a proven job killer.

From whence will the funding come to support free community college and increased child care credits? Why from the rich, of course, in the form of higher taxes including estate taxes. The rich need to pay their fair share, he says, notwithstanding the fact that they already pay most of the taxes and half of Americans pay no income tax at all.

The president offered to reach out to the Republican Congress in the spirit of cooperation and compromise. But he followed these words with three blunt veto threats. Apparently then, the president intends that the White House and the Congress remain worlds apart for the next two years with the president sticking with his income redistribution approach and the Congress recognizing that the best way to grow this economy and create jobs is to adopt tax and regulatory policies that encourage businesses to expand.

Sounds like business as usual. Isn’t divided government fun?

January 25, 2015

Policing In Modern America

Policing in America——————————————–

                A commentary

                By J. F. Kelly, Jr.

 

Among the most disturbing and discouraging domestic events of the past year were the often- violent demonstrations that followed grand jury findings after the deaths of two unarmed black men and a boy brandishing what turned out to be a toy gun. The demonstrations, whatever the initial peaceful intent, inconvenienced hundreds of thousands of innocent people trying to get to or from work, drop off or pick up children, keep medical appointments or get to emergency rooms or otherwise deal with the requirements of daily life. In numerous cases, they erupted in violence, damaging property, causing injuries and threatening lives of innocent persons.

Demonstrations and marches have figured importantly in gaining national attention for civil rights, female voting rights and other worthy causes. The right of Americans to gather peacefully and demonstrate for a cause is guaranteed by the Constitution. The operative word here is “peacefully”. Their rights do not include the right to riot, block freeways, destroy property, threaten fellow citizens or police or to resist arrest.

What some of the recent demonstrators have claimed to be peaceful in nature is viewed quite differently by those affected who may feel intimidated or endangered. Consider some of the slogans chanted by some of the “peaceful” demonstrators. There was the often-heard “No justice, no peace.” But whose version of justice are they talking about? Justice is not dictated by street mobs in this country. Most of those chanting such slogans have little idea of how the justice system works. The Grand Jury process, for example, is about justice for the accused, not a deceased victim. A Grand Jury must first determine if an actual crime has been committed that warrants a trial. We are a nation of laws and demonstrators do not get to define those laws. There is an orderly process for that. But, of course, mobs are not particularly interested in orderly processes which require time, work and understanding.

The media are complicit by its sensational coverage of the demonstrations and referring to Grand Jury “decisions” as if they were arrived at arbitrarily instead of “findings” reached by considering all the evidence, much of which would never be available except for the secrecy rules. And media accounts tend to over-emphasize the fact that the victim was black and unarmed, which by no means ensures that he did not pose a threat to the officer or the public, even if the officer was certain that he was in fact unarmed, which he should never assume.

A particularly ugly slogan heard was “What do we want? Dead cops. When do we want them? Now.” They got their wish shortly thereafter when two policemen were ambushed and executed in New York and another in Florida. One of the dangers of street demonstrations is that they attract crazies of all kinds, including people prone to violence. Another is that they inflame tensions and promote negative attitudes toward police who are now often viewed by black communities as the enemy. These are, ironically,  the people most in need of police protection.

Attacks on police are also now causing police to act with greater caution in answering calls which may pose a danger to them. They may delay a response to wait for backup and be perfectly justified in doing so. This appears to be happening in New York where arrests were down dramatically. Finally, the demonstrations are a large draw on police resources necessary to maintain order and protect people and property. The bottom line is that they can spread police dangerously thin and detract from public safety. Meanwhile, they accomplish little of positive value and probably worsen race relations and harden attitides.

One thing is clear, at least statistically. Police are not the enemy and they are not the main problem. Blacks have much more to fear at the hands of black male juveniles and youths than from policemen of any color. Blacks comprise about 14% of the population but accounted for 38.7% of the violent crime in America in 2013 according to FBI figures. The overwhelming number of these crimes were committed by black males under the age of 18. The problem is not the police, it is poor parenting, poverty and broken homes without a father figure.

It’s not so much the way we police in America that needs to change; it’s more our attitude toward police that needs changing. We, as children, were taught to respect and obey police. They were after all, charged with our safety. If we were in danger we called police. They put their lives on the line every day for us. We were grateful for that. We were taught to address them as officers, not cops. They rode in police cars, not cop cars.

Here’s a conversation that every parent of every race needs to have with their children. If you are confronted or questioned by a policeman, he or she is the legal, authorized official in charge of that situation, not you. Do as he or she says, period. If you have a problem with how he or she performed their duties, file a complaint later. If you resist arrest or threaten the officer, don’t be surprised or outraged if you get treated harshly. If you attack the officer, you may get badly hurt or even killed and you will have deserved it.

January 19, 2015

Lessons from Paris——————————————————————-

                A commentary

                By J. F. Kelly, Jr.

 

Excuse me, but. I’m not Charlie Hebdo. Slogans are important for rallying people and I know they’re not always to be taken literally, as when John F. Kennedy famously said “Ich bin ein Berliner” to signify solidarity with the beleaguered citizens of Berlin trapped behind the iron curtain. Still, while I am outraged by this vicious attack on freedom of speech and the French people, I’d just as soon not be associated with Charlie Hebdo.

Charlie Hebdo is a left-leaning, satirical weekly magazine that I wouldn’t bother to read if it was the only piece of reading material left in the waiting room. It specializes in crude cartoons that mock religions in a way that is deeply offensive to many followers of those religions. I don’t see any redeeming value in unnecessarily offending members of any religion. It is said in the magazine’s defense that it is unbiased in its satire because it mocks all religions equally. That doesn’t qualify as a virtue to me.

Satire is a powerful literary tool that usually employs humor in sending  political or social messages. Call me old-fashioned, but I see little humor or amusement in tasteless cartoons that depict religious figures as objects of ridicule. What’s to be gained by needlessly offending members of any religion? Does it promote tolerance and understanding? Is it art or journalism? Does it make the world a better place?

So I will not be among the marchers chanting “Je Suis Charlie” nor will I bother to pick up one of the three million copies of the special edition which I wouldn’t use  to wrap fish or line the bottom of a bird cage. But, that said, I defend the right of Charlie Hebdo or any other publication to publish whatever it wishes short of slander and libel. Public officials, celebrities and institutions are normally fair game. I personally feel, though, that there is an abundance of targets to satirize without insulting  gods and prophets.  Of course journalists have a right to do so. And I have a right to stand on a street corner and insult churchgoers but why would I do that?

The murderous attack on the magazine staff and the Jewish market by French-born Islamic terrorists is another chapter in the war being waged against the West by Islamic fundamentalists. It dominated the headlines for days because the attack happened, not in the Middle East or Africa where such things happen regularly but in France and it involved journalists which gets the media’s undivided attention. It should serve as another urgent warning that we are involved in a real war between cultures which will not end until we take it seriously as a war and decide to go on the offensive. Wars are never won by simply defending against attacks. We have to actually act to stop the attacks. We should start, as former senator Joe Lieberman has suggested, with formal declarations of war and plans to take the fight to the terrorists with whatever forces that requires.

There are other lessons to be learned. We are quick to rise up in righteous anger and march in the streets for the rights to free speech of a left-leaning, religion-baiting magazine, virtually unknown outside of France. How about some concern for freedom of expression right here in America on our college campuses where students and faculty largely decide what kinds of speech and speakers are permitted on campus and where political correctness defines what one can say publically?

In Europe, the lesson is more urgent. The former colonial powers have been less than successful in assimilating the large numbers of Muslims who have emigrated from their former African and Asian colonies. Rather than adapting to the host country’s culture, they have mostly just transported their own. The ghettos they inhabit are breeding home-grown terrorists at an alarming rate that will continue to be a threat to everyone’s security and contribute to the rapid rise of anti-Semitism in Europe.

January 15, 2015

Hallmarks of a Great City—————————————-

                A commentary

                By J. F. Kelly, Jr.

 

We Coronadans are justly proud of our beautiful and unique city whose features set it apart from any other. Yet, we are an inseparable part of greater San Diego, one of America’s largest cities. The best and most photographed views of San Diego are from Coronado, so herewith are some views of a different nature from a Coronado resident regarding the city which calls itself America’s Finest.

San Diego is essentially out of buildable land so population growth will be limited to the point that it will eventually not be among the ten largest U.S. cities, which is not all bad, of course. Metropolitan areas with room to expand like Phoenix and San Antonio have already surpassed it in population and will continue to grow and attract businesses and residents because of cheaper housing and a lower cost of living. Cities with smaller populations like San Francisco are actually more important market areas because of large nearby cities like Oakland and others in the Bay Area.  If not for Camp Pendleton, Greater San Diego would probably be part of Greater Los Angeles.

Still, few of us would choose to live anywhere else if we had a choice. Blessed with the best weather on earth, our Mediterranean climate, ocean views and nearby mountains will always be a magnet for those who are fortunate enough to be able to afford to live here.

Our parks and beaches are second to none. We have a great bay and waterfront and host the largest Navy/Marine complex in the world. And San Diego’s crime rate ranks among the lowest of major U.S. cities. But truly great cities are characterized by more than geography, climate and low crime rates.

We have a world-class symphony orchestra which, thanks to the generosity of former creditors, owns its own venue. San Diego Opera is another cultural gem that has enhanced the city’s reputation and enriched its life. My wife and I have been fortunate enough to be season subscribers to both and to the Old Globe for decades and we can actually imagine life without such cultural institutions because the Navy has sometimes stationed us in places that some might uncharitably describe as cultural wastelands.

Recently, John Lepore, in these pages and in the San Diego U-T, has urged readers to attend La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini, the master composer of some of the world’s most beloved operas, including Madama Butterfly, Tosca and Manon Lescaut. My wife and I have attended at least half a dozen performances of Boheme and never grow tired of the rich, romantic music and libretto. If you’ve never attended live opera, this is a great one to begin with. You may just get hooked and attend the Opera’s other 2015 offerings including Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Adams’ Nixon in China.

Opera is a very expensive venue because of the sets, costumes and relatively rare exceptional talent required to sing grand opera. Ticket sales are not nearly enough to cover expenses so it relies heavily on donations to survive. This is a critical year for San Diego Opera with a new board, management and slimmer budget so robust support from the community is essential to maintaining this treasure. Consider a gift to the opera, symphony, to live theatre and other cultural institutions that enrich life in our community.

What else characterizes a great city? Great universities and research centers? We’ve got them. Museums and galleries? Ditto. Major league sport franchises? You bet. What do they have in common with the arts? They are both forms of entertainment with devoted fans. It’s hard to imagine life around here without the Padres and the Chargers. It’s hard for me to imagine downtown San Diego without Petco Park or Mission Valley without Qualcomm Stadium or a new or renovated “Q” with the Bolts playing in it.

But the facts are that after a dozen or more years of dithering, San Diego will bid goodbye to the Bolts who have entertained us for over four decades if the community doesn’t rally to support a new stadium, at least by providing the land. Mission Valley is clearly the best place for it. It is served by four freeways  and light rail and has the largest parking area in the NFL. A new stadium could be built adjacent to the old one without missing a single game. The site is a flood plain. What else is it good for? The city may prefer an East Village urban renewal project but we would soon regret the downtown congestion on game day caused by twice as many fans as Petco Park can accommodate.

Unless city and county officials wish to be known as the folks who lost the Chargers and an NFL franchise forever, the time to act is now before it is too late.

January 1, 2015

(This column appeared originally in the Coronado Eagle&Journal.)