HELP ME....12/10/23

One day after leaving my class at the John O'Connell School of Technology in San Francisco almost 50 years ago, I routinely approached the bus stop where I would catch my ride home.

A man with a gaping wound on his head and obviosly impaired was lying in the gutter pleading for help.

The city bus had arrived a moment earlier and the driver was blaring his horn in an effort to get the man to move out of the way so he could continue loading and off-loading passengers.

I watched incredulously for a few seconds as others rushed by with furtive glances at the helpless man, but did nothing.

I finally put down my backpack and with all my might, dragged the poor fellow up on to the sidewalk, after which I went in to the nearest shop and asked the storekeeper to call for help.

I consoled the man as best I could until a van finally arrived and took him away.

I grew up in a small farming community in South Dakota where everyone helped each other, no matter how large or small the need.

This big city experience was a new one for me and I've never forgotten the indifference of passersby that day who obviously didn't want to become involved, or worse yet, didn't care.

WHAT IF?....12/9/23

As Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization between 1969 and 2004, Yasser Arafat was then one of the most famous and colorful men in the world.

Ehud Barak, a highly decorated Lieutenant General in the Israeli Defense Forces, was Prime Minister of Israel during part of Arafat’s reign as head of the PLO.

So in 2000, after intense negotiations, Barak offered up a 2-state solution to the Palestinians, which was eventually rejected by Arafat.

Some said it was because Arafat loved the jet-setting and attention that came his way during that time, and if he struck a bargain, he would lose power, prestige, and maybe even his job.

There were no doubt other reasons as well that could be arguably justified.

Nevertheless, this was perhaps one of those millions of pivotal moments throughout history where things might have been different if we human beings were better at settling our differences.

But it seems we have a tendency to dig in for a variety or reasons and ignore that priceless virtue of compromise.

EQUAL UNDER THE LAW....12/8/23

Our system of justice in this country is far from perfect, but it's better than most. Oftentimes the rich and powerful get off the hook, but not always. O.J. Simpson was an exception.

Hunter Biden, the notorious son of the president, was charged with 9 felonies yesterday, which gives him a total of 12 when the 3 previous gun related charges are added.

The president himself is facing an Impeachment Inquiry to determine if he engaged in nefarious activity as well.

Donald Trump is facing 91 felonies, and like many Biden supporters who think their guy is innocent, a lot of Trump defenders will claim the charges against their man are bogus.

Nevertheless, I believe in the rule of law, and if either Biden and / or Trump is found guilty, just like anyone else convicted of a crime, they should pay price a price commensurate with their crimes, regardless of their celebrity.