Gleaning Facebook: Why This Is Different

Special Note: This is a statement of my opinion. That's the primary use I choose to make of my Facebook page. I have no interest in debate on this topic, since I believe the final sentence below. Disagree? That's your right. Rant on your own wall, not mine. Don't want to read this stuff? Then don't; Facebook has an "unfollow" option.

The president was the choice of fewer Americans than his opponent. As a matter of fact he lost the vote of the people more clearly than George W. Bush in 2000 or John Kerry in 2004, Richard Nixon in 1960, Hubert Humphrey in 1968 and several other major candidates in our history. But that's not why I actively resist him and his administration.

The president defeated a candidate that I supported wholeheartedly. But I also supported Hubert Humphrey in '68, Jimmy Carter in '80, Al Gore in 2000, each probably with even more heart and soul. That's not why I actively resist him and his administration.

This president espouses views I abhor. But, regarding actual stated policy positions, I probably had even more disagreements with Reagan and the Bushes. That's not why I actively resist him and his administration.

I, of course, would work to oppose many of the policies of any Republican administration. But I go farther in this case. I not only will oppose, I will actively resist, peacefully and ethically (reserving the rights Jefferson so poetically stated in the Declaration) just as I would a Nazi or Communist president.

Why do I actively resist this man and his administration?

His unrelenting dishonesty is part of it. Russian tampering with our election and his encouragement of it (documented) and possible collusion with it (undocumented) is part of it. His personal history of multiple frauds and admitted sexual predation are parts of it. His mental and emotional disabilities are part of it. His incompetence and ignorance are parts of it. DeVos and Bannon and Pruitt are parts of it. The environmental disaster he is abetting is part of it. The Muslim ban and now the media bans are, perhaps, the final straws. But the real reason is embedded in all those things together, unprecedented in the 44 previous occupants of the office, and stated here by Tapper.

Donald J. Trump is, plainly, objectively, unAmerican. 

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Comments

Rhonda Ingram Bramlette
I absolutely agree. It seems his mission is to repeal and destroy everything we hold dear as American citizens. And his Policies ? I'm not sure he has any. He has an agenda. And it looks a lot like fascism.

Ann Gore
Agree!

Laura L Adams
He calls legitimate news sources fake. Negative press is "fake." Yet the leader of Breitbart Propaganda sits on a Security Council, and the founder of InfoWars Conspiracy Delusions is a welcome guest.
This is like a bad movie...

Stuart Bennett
Wholeheartedly agree well stated!

Raymond Atkins
I thought we as a nation were too smart to be trained to salivate only when Trump rings the bell. Of course, I also thought we as a nation were too smart to vote for this shell of a human in the first place. So what the hell do I know?

Helen Keefer
I love that first sentence... think I will adopt it.

Joan Ledbetter
So well put, Terrell!

George Anderson
Protect the First Amendment! Protect freedom of speech & freedom of the press!

Ralph Noble
Amen!

Gleaning Facebook: At the Star

Following the last performance of "Barefoot in the Park" at the Star Theatre in Oceanside, CA, with the star of the show, our beautiful daughter Brannon, and her in-laws, Danny and Renata Carlin. We had a wonderful trip. Too short, but wonderful!

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Sandy Doughty
Awesome!!

Renata Carlin
So nice to visit with you and Terrell again. See you soon!

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We had a wonderful weekend in San Diego. Unapologetic stage parents that we are, we attended all four weekend performances of Barefoot in the Park. You won't be surprised to learn that we thought Brannon Shaw was magnificent in the lead role as Corie Bratter. A fun show.

Joyce Mink
Brannon and San Diego is an unbelievable combination

Hilda Atkins Moore
So happy for you dear folks.

Gleaning Facebook: Sara With an "H"

A friend ordered a birthday cake for her daughter and instructed: "Sarah with an 'h'." LOL

Diane Loyd Gage

Oh no! Our Sarah always wanted to make sure her name was spelled with an "h"! This is hilarious!

 

Gleaning Facebook: Vandalism

"When you wage war on the public schools, you're attacking the mortar that holds the community together. You're not a conservative, you're a vandal."

Garrison Keillor, Homegrown Democrat: A Few Plain Thoughts from the Heart of America

This book is well over a decade old but still very appropriate to the current situation. I listened to the audiobook as I peered down from 38,000 feet at my land and yours from shining deserts to Blue Ridge forests. 

Laurie Craw
In small towns and rural areas, the public school IS the community.

Glenda Almand
Hope the Gov. Leaves things alone. Is he for privitizing?

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The above is from my Facebook on this date in 2017. Today (February 20, 2023) I want to add the following:

I spent my career -- 33 years -- in public education, and 12 years as a public school student. My college is a private school, but after my four years of undergraduate work I studied  for my master's degree at a public university.

So, thank you America, your taxes paid for 14 years of my education.

AND since 1969 you have paid for my food, entertainment, lodging, hobbies, travel, charitable contributions to church and environmental and political causes. Even in retirement you a paying me a little for doing work I love spreading the word about Georgia's environmental diversity to people in this corner of our state. And most of the rest of my current income comes from the Teacher's Retirement System and Social Security. 

Some would say that I have lived on the public dole most of may life. Of course I believe I've earned every cent and that the Georgia and American public are better off for my service. I certainly hope so; that has been my goal.

Some members of the so-called Republican Party --- Rick Scott, Mitch McConnell, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson, Marco Rubio, and many more --- have called for changing retirement ages, privatizing, or otherwise reducing "entitlements". Still the ignorant and childish woman who pretends to represent us in Congress screamed insults at our President during the State of The Union address for acknowledging that. These same folks, in general, have done all they can to weaken public education. They call things like Social Security, Medicare, and public education "socialism". 

Here are some basic tenets of my politics:

• We the People ARE the government.
• We the People (as our government) have six corporate aims
1. constantly perfecting the republic
2. justice for all
3. peace and safety at home
4. peace and safety abroad
5. common welfare
6. liberty for all now and always
• Maximum liberty is almost always in the middle

• unfettered socialism becomes tyranny
• unfettered capitalism becomes tyranny
• entrepreneurship and a free market should be encouraged but monopolies and businesses "too big to fail" must be broken up
• some things should ONLY be run by We the People and NEVER subject to the profit motive, ex. health care and law enforcement/prisons
• Every citizen should accept responsibility for staying informed, filtering out demagoguery, taking an active part in the republic; a republic without an engaged citizenry will not survive.
• We the People should choose our leaders rather than the reverse. Therefore outlaw Gerrymandering nationwide.
• Non-republican elements of the Constitution should be reformed, therefore the Electoral College and the Senate should be, at least, modified to be more republican. 
• Reform the current minority veto on legislation (filibuster) in the Senate; at the very least return to the speaking filibuster. 
• Ranked choice voting / instant runoff systems help avoid demagogues getting elected when the majority oppose them.

Gleaning Facebook: Barefoot In The "Ta"

 Here at the 'ta' theater (formerly the 'Star') in rain-soaked Oceanside, California, to see Brannon Shaw as Corie in Barefoot in the Park.

Katie S. Kimbrough
Lol ta

Laurie Craw
Hug her for us!

Sheila Matthews Shaw
We will!

Terrell Shaw
Brannon says the S &R are usually lit... maybe the deluge put 'em out last night.

Ruth Baird Shaw
Terry and Sheila...Enjoy the play . have a great visit and give Brannon (and John) my love and prayers!!!

Sheila Matthews Shaw
We will!

Gleaning Facebook: Terrell in V3 Magazine

 From my sister Joan Turpentine's Facebook:

Nice to see this pic of Terrell Shaw along with a good article in NWGA's magazine, Fire and Ice, about the Young Tales program teaching youngsters the art of storytelling through the Ridge and Valley Storytellers Guild

Gleaning Facebook: From Daniel Eason

From Daniel Eason

We had a group that got out to support immigrants, this afternoon. We also got far more support from passers-by than otherwise, which says a great deal about the city of Rome!

 

Cheryl Jenkins
And they were all invited to HUG II tomorrow night at 6:00 at First United Methodist Church of Rome!

Jessie Reed
I love that this happened and sorry I couldn't make it.

Joey Eason
Wish I was there.

Linda Hatcher
Thank you to everyone who showed up!

Darby McClendon Kennedy
I am pleased, though surprised, that you got such a good reception!

Daniel Eason
I was very pleasantly surprised, too. There were many honks and waves.

Lawrence Hyc

Do you mean ILLEGAL immigrants you dunce?? 

Gleaning Facebook: Folks I'd Choose Before Choosing Trump

NYT: Paul Manafort and other Republican campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence while the Russians were trying to influence the election.

Were I given the power of reincarnation and could appoint a president from among the the group below, Donald Trump would still be my last choice.:

Benedict Arnold or Aaron Burr

Jefferson Davis (Shoot, throw in Joe Brown!)

Andrew Jackson or Johnson

James Buchanan

Warren G. Harding

Woodrow Wilson (after the stroke)

Barry Goldwater

Richard Nixon (drunk)

Moms Mably or Brother Dave Gardner

Junior Samples or

The Guy Who Used to Live Under the Turner McCall Bridge

Donald Trump

Gleaning Facebook: Mother and Five Great-Grands

My mother, Ruth Baird Shaw, with five of her 29 great-grandchildren. Numbers 30, 31, & 32 are already scheduled to arrive in 2017.

Cynthia Latimer
What a picture to treasure.

Katie S. Kimbrough
Aww!

Mike Bock
How great. How wonderful. Ruth and the whole Shaw family is very blessed.

Diane Conti
Sweet!

Bill Barker
Love Ruth

Laurie Craw
All beautiful and dearly loved.

CeCe Baker
Precious.

Dale Pickett
Precious .

Carla Byram
What joy she has... love to see this!

Rose McDonald Darby
Wow, how wonderful!

Frank Norris
Hey, Ruth!

Ruth Demeter
She looks happy in that exuberant way Ruths do (since they are never ruthless!)

Glenda Almand
Biiiiig family.

Tersi Bendiburg
So sweet. 

Melissa Pyle-Hamilton
Precious photo!

Ruth Baird Shaw
Smiling with you...Ruth Demeter...YES:::we are never "Ruthless."

Bill Barker
Love Ms Ruth

 

Gleaning Facebook: Expanding Rome's Storytelling Festival

Chetter Galloway

Esther Culver

Anthony Vinson

When Debby Brown talked about storytelling she wanted four things for Northwest Georgia:

1. opportunities for our people to hear first class national storytellers

2. opportunities for kids to be involved in storytelling

3. opportunities for local tellers to have good audiences and develop their craft.

4. opportunities for regional tellers to have good audiences and develop their craft.

For 2017 we have expanded the Big Fibbers Storytelling Festival with those goals in mind.

1. We have two "big name" tellers coming: Natalie Jones and Carol Cain, both of whom have long experience in regional and national storytelling circles.

2. We have enlarged our Debby Brown Young Tales program to include ten schools and over 200 club members and an audience in the thousands of kids.

3. We have added two performances to our schedule which will give an additional seven local tellers an opportunity to tell.

4. We have invited three regional tellers --- Esther Culver, Chetter Galloway, Anthony Vinson --- to be parts of the two new programs. In addition our Big Fibbers Contest will, for the first time, include several out-of-state tellers.

I'm getting excited!

Gleaning Facebook: Barefoot In The Park

Brannon stars in Barefoot In The Park at the Star Theatre , Oceanside CA.
Opens Friday Night 2-10-17 at 7:30pm @ The Star Theatre in Oceanside

 

Gleaning Facebook: Mother's Health

Thanks to my sister Jan for these kind words. I wanted to save this primarily as a record of Mother's health. See Joan's comment below. 

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My talented brother, Terrell Shaw, and his talented wife Sheila Matthews Shaw and their two daughters very talented Brannon Shaw and Lillian Shaw. They are taking wonderful care of our mother, enabling her to live in her home (along with two Rome sisters, Joan Shaw Turrentine and Deborah Shaw Lewis).

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Char Nulf
Hope your mother is doing well.

Joan Shaw Turrentine
I guess she's doing as well as can be expected, Char. She had lumpectomies for very small and contained breast cancers in 2009 and then continued her very active lifestyle. Then this past June, she started having severe leg pain and became unable to walk. The breast cancer has metastasized to her bones - with patches in her spine and her right knee. Since then we've completed a course of radiation, but she still remains pretty-much housebound and tethered to numerous doctor's visits and treatments. She'll be 94 on the 19th of this month. Her forced inactivity is difficult for her and for us, but we're getting by and enjoying quite a bit of time together. I will appreciate your prayers on our behalf as we handle this difficult time. Love to you and Bob!

Natalie Roseberry
Joan Shaw Turrentine I'm so sorry to hear this! Please tell your mom that she is in my prayers and mom's.

Gleaning Facebook: Suffering?

Love it! I copied the following from a friend's Facebook---

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When a Facebook friend told Scott Medrick, "We suffered for 8 years. Now it’s your turn.”

Scott replied....

_____________________________

I am surprised you would wish suffering upon me. That of course is your right, I suppose. I do not wish harm on anyone. Your statement seems to continue an ‘US v THEM’ mentality. The election is over. It is important to get past campaigning and campaign rhetoric and get down to what is uniting not dividing and what is best for ALL Americans.

There will never be a President who does everything to everyone’s liking. There are things President Obama (and President Clinton) did that I do not like and conversely there are things I can point to that the Presidents Bush did that I agree with. So I am not 100% in lock step with the outgoing President but have supported him and the overall job he did.

And, if you recall, during the Presidential Campaign back in 2008 the campaign was halted because of the "historic crisis in our financial system." Wall Street bailout negotiations intervened in the election process. The very sobering reality was that there likely could be a Depression and the world financial markets could collapse.

The United States was losing 800,000 jobs a month and was poised to lose at least 10 million jobs the first year once the new President took office. We were in an economic freefall. So let us recall that ALL of America was suffering terribly at the beginning of Obama’s Presidency.

But I wanted to look back over the last 8 years and ask you a few questions. Since much of the rhetoric before Obama was elected was that he would impose Sharia Law, Take Away Your Guns, Create Death Panels, Destroy the Economy, Impose Socialism and, since you will agree that NONE of this came to pass,

I was wondering:

Why have you suffered so?

So let me ask:

Gays and Lesbians can now marry and enjoy the benefits they had been deprived of. Has this caused your suffering?

When Obama took office, the Dow was 6,626. Now it is 19,875. Has this caused your suffering?

We had 82 straight months of private sector job growth - the longest streak in the history of the United States. Has this caused your suffering?

Especially considering where he the economy was when he took over, an amazing 11.3 million new jobs were created under President Obama (far more than President Bush). Has this caused your suffering?

Obama has taken Unemployment from 10% down to 4.7%. Has this caused your suffering?

Homelessness among US Veterans has dropped by half. Has this caused your suffering?

Obama shut down the US secret overseas prisons. Has this caused your suffering?

President Obama has created a policy for the families of fallen soldiers to have their travel paid for to be there when remains are flown home. Has this caused your suffering?

We landed a rover on Mars. Has this caused your suffering?

He passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Has this caused your suffering?

Uninsured adults has decreased to below 10%: 90% of adults are insured - an increase of 20 million adults. Has this caused your suffering?

People are now covered for pre-existing conditions. Has this caused your suffering?

Insurance Premiums increased an average of $4,677 from 2002-2008, an increase of 58% under Bush. The growth of these

insurance premiums has gone up $4,145 – a slower rate of increase. Has this caused your suffering?

Obama added billions of dollars to mental health care for our Veterans. Has this caused your suffering?

Consumer confidence has gone from 37.7 to 98.1 during Obama’s tenure. Has this caused your suffering?

He passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Has this caused your suffering?

His bi-annual Nuclear Summit convinced 16 countries to give up and destroy all their loose nuclear material so it could not be stolen. Has this caused your suffering?

He saved the US Auto industry. American cars sold at the beginning of his term were 10.4M and upon his exit 17.5M. Has this caused your suffering?

The deficit as a percentage of the GDP has gone from 9.8% to 3.2%. Has this caused your suffering?

The deficit itself was cut by $800 billion dollars. Has this caused your suffering?

Obama preserved the middle class tax cuts. Has this caused your suffering?

Obama banned solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prisons. Has this caused your suffering?

He signed credit card reform so that rates could not be raised without you being notified. Has this caused your suffering?

He outlawed Government contractors from discriminating against LGBT persons. Has this caused your suffering?

He doubled Pell Grants. Has this caused your suffering?

Abortion is down. Has this caused your suffering?

Violent crime is down. Has this caused your suffering?

He overturned the scientific ban on stem cell research. Has this caused your suffering?

He protected Net Neutrality. Has this caused your suffering?

Obamacare has extended the life of the Medicare insurance trust fund (will be solvent until 2030). Has this caused your suffering?

President Obama repealed "Don't Ask Don't Tell." Has this caused your suffering?

He banned torture. Has this caused your suffering?

He negotiated with Syria to give up its chemical weapons and they were destroyed. Has this caused your suffering?

Solar and Wind Power are at an all time high. Has this caused your suffering?

High School Graduation rates hit 83% - an all-time high. Has this caused your suffering?

Corporate profits are up by 144%. Has this caused your suffering?

He normalized relations with Cuba. Has this caused your suffering?

Reliance on foreign oil is at a 40-year low. Has this caused your suffering?

US Exports are up 28%. Has this caused your suffering?

He appointed the most diverse cabinet ever. Has this caused your suffering?

He reduced the number of troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Has this caused your suffering?

Yes, he killed Osama Bin Laden and retrieved all the documents in his possession for analysis. Perhaps THIS caused your suffering?

From an objective standpoint it would appear that the last 8 years have seen some great progress and we were saved from a financial collapse. Things are not perfect. Things can always be better. We are on much better footing now than we were in 2008.

I look forward to understanding what caused you to suffer so much under Obama these last eight years. 

Anne Edwards Langley
Nailed it! Isn't it funny when the shoe is on the other foot

Glenette Reece
Good response

Paula Graves
Who is Scott Medrick?

Terrell Shaw
Should be Mednick. I don't know him. I copied this from Marion Dobbs.

David Marlin Rains
They suffered for 8 years because common civility & courtesy meant they could not freely spew their venom in front of their betters. So relieving now.

Michael Moody
Perfectly said

Gretchen Dodson
Awesome!

Terrell Shields
WHERE IS THE SUFFERING?? OR HOW DID WE SUFFER??

Chereta Gordon
Bravo, kind sir!!! Bravo

Jim Geist
I have gotten the same response from chuckle heads. The nice thing about being a chucklehead is, facts don't really matter......

Gleaning Facebook: Where's My Pay?

 I am beginning to get really annoyed. I have protested Trump in every way I can for months, and that dadblamed Soros has not cut me a check yet! The rest of you guys are getting paid; the President says so. Who can you trust if not the President? Right? So where is my check?!!!!

Ivy Elizabeth Holt Morris
I didn't know you could be a professional anarchist!

Laurie Craw
Even anarchists have to eat and pay the rent. lol

Ivy Elizabeth Holt Morris
I'm just wondering where to send my resume?

David Matheny
Anarchists Union says they can "Anarch" with a 1-hour LunchBreak and a 15-minute Coffee Break in the Morning and Afternoon.

Howard Smith
Guys, I have had no problem having my anarchist checks direct deposited into an offshore account, then I convert them to a foreign currency with which I buy gold coins through a European contact and then have them brought back with a friend who still has his visa and then I trade them back here for cash and am now buying as much defense industry related stock based on a tip from someone inside the new administration...its all good. The circle of life, so to speak.

Michael J. Burton
I want in

Laurie Craw
Now wait. Trump is the one who paid people to attend his BIG announcement to run for president and cheer and he had paid staffers attend his press conference AND his CIA visit to clap and cheer his remarks. But oh well. He lies. He lies. He can't help himself, bless his heart..

Neal Brackett
You don't know the secret handshake? I thought you were better connected than that.

Michael J. Burton
I understand that Koch is now funding Republican opposition to Trump.

Raymond Atkins
Just got back from the mailbox....sigh.

Suanne Bierman Laqueur
Courage. Maybe Monday.

Laurie Craw
During the civil rights movement and Vietnam War protests, the conventional "wisdom" was that the thousands of citizens in the streets were "communist-inspired" or "the work of outside agitators." Of course, there were some radicals on the fringes and mentally unstable individuals and common criminal types in the mix, just as there are in any mass movement, right or left. But the fringe groups and nutcases can't explain why suburban schoolteachers, grandmothers and veterans take to the streets today.