From Jennifer Rubin on this last Friday of August

 

Washington Post, August 30, 2024 by Jennifer Rubin What caught my eye One of the most uplifting parts of last week’s Democratic convention was the presence of so many Republicans, such as former Illinois congressman Adam Kinzinger and former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan. Both decided to put country over party and self. “I know Kamala Harris shares my allegiance to the rule of law, the Constitution and democracy, and she is dedicated to upholding all three in service to our country,” Kinzinger said. “Whatever policies we disagree on pale in comparison with those fundamental matters of principle, of decency and of fidelity to this nation.” Likewise, Duncan said, “Let me be clear to my Republican friends at home watching: If you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024, you’re not a Democrat. You’re a patriot.” The day after the convention, a dozen former lawyers from the three Republican administrations before Donald Trump’s published a letter endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. They wrote, “Trump’s attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after losing the election proved beyond any reasonable doubt his willingness to place his personal interests above the law and values of our constitutional democracy.” They argued that returning Trump to office “would threaten American democracy and undermine the rule of law in our country.” Then, a four-star general who served under President George W. Bush and hundreds of former Republican staffers endorsed Harris. So, the question remains: Where are the rest of the Republicans who understand Trump is an existential threat to democracy? Most of the big names still refuse to follow Kinzinger and Duncan’s lead. Former president George W. Bush must be in a witness protection program; he has virtually disappeared. Former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney courageously stood up to Trump when he tried to stage a coup. But, sorry — if you pledge to do everythingpossible to prevent Trump’s return to power, you have an obligation to endorse Harris, the only person who can beat him. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who shredded Trump in the primaries, previously objected to endorsing President Joe Bidenbecause of Biden’s age. (“President Biden, in my view, is past the sell-by date.”) What is his excuse now for refusing to endorse the new, 59-year-old Democratic nominee? Paul Ryan, a Fox board member and former speaker of the House, was quoted in May as saying, “Character is too important for me. ... [The presidency] is a job that requires the kind of character [Trump] doesn’t have.” But Ryan too lacks the nerve to support the only viable alternative. When he rationalizes his refusal to endorse a Democrat on the grounds that he differs on “policy,” he is telling us that preserving democracy is not a high policy priority for him. The list goes on: H.R. McMaster (actually commending Trump’s foreign policy in the Atlantic!), Jim Mattis, Condoleezza Rice. Moral cowardice, or craving for access in future Republican administrations, seems to have silenced even those most vocal on America’s defense of Ukraine and other allies. History will not treat them kindly. Certainly, getting some Republicans to refrain from voting for Trump is helpful. But if they are as devoted to democracy and as committed to the international world order as they say, there is no moral argument for refraining from going the rest of the way to endorse Harris, especially after such a robust affirmation of her foreign policy views. Biden gave up the presidency for the sake of our democracy. Can’t these Republicans give Harris their votes? Distinguished person of the week Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), appearing on “Meet the Press,” gave the perfect retort to Trump’s disingenuous claim on Truth Social that his administration would be “great for women and their reproductive rights.” Asked if we should believe that Trump would not sign an abortion ban, Warren said, “American women are not stupid, and we are not going to trust the futures of our daughters and granddaughters to two men who have openly bragged about blocking access to abortion for women all across this country.” She added that, “for any woman who’s in the middle of a miscarriage, who goes into an emergency room and discovers there’s no medication and no treatment for her because abortion has been banned nationwide, they can thank Donald Trump and JD Vance.” As host Kristen Welker persisted in her questioning, Warren was having none of it. “Just read it. JD Vance actually sent a letter last year to the Department of Justice saying, ‘Enforce the Comstock Act.’ And remember, he did that and then Donald Trump picked him to be his vice president,” she said. “Take a look at Project 2025. It lays out the road map for exactly how to do this. And, frankly, when you’ve got a pawn in the Department of Justice and pawns in the judiciary, it isn’t even hard to accomplish.” (Frankly, Welker should have had that level of detail to confront Vance, whom she interviewed just before Warren.) One can only hope that ABC moderators at the Sept. 10 debate are as prepared as Warren to confront Trump’s utterly unbelievable reversal on an issue key to the MAGA movement. **** And look at the sign delivered to me yesterday:

The View from Here

 

Another batch of company here and gone this week.  Dan's youngest brother and his wife arrived on Monday evening and departed this morning.  It was a wonderful visit with them, a chance to share memories, learn of each other's concerns and triumphs and generally have fun.

Of course blogging went by the wayside while they were here.

The leaves on that hillside will soon be turning.  I did notice the swamp maples were all red the other day. Morning temperatures are cooler.  Tonight it will be in the 40s.  Fall is coming fast.

Jennifer Rubin's Review of ...

 Kamala Harris' acceptance speech on Thursday night.

Vice President Kamala Harris waves after speaking on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday. (Kent Nishimura/AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

What caught my eye When a convention is superbly executed and stocked with great speeches and emotional moments, there is always a risk that the presidential nominee’s speech will prove anti-climactic. That surely did not happen on Thursday night when Harris accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination. The explosion of emotion and joy that greeted her appearance seemed to exceed the sum total of all that preceded it. As much as the crowd loved the Obamas, admired Hillary Clinton and burst with emotion for the women who told their abortion stories and for the Israeli hostage families, nothing compared to the blast that rocked the United Center for Harris. The party is enthralled with her — luxuriating in her star power, reveling in her ability to put former president Donald Trump in his place and hungering for not only victory but also a historic, page-turning triumph. Harris’s speech leaned into her biography, contrasting Trump’s inherited wealth with her middle-class background in a “beautiful working-class neighborhood of firefighters, nurses, and construction workers, all who tended their lawns with pride.” She assured Americans that “building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency,” adding, “This is personal for me. The middle class is where I come from.” Democrats continue to emphasize economic populism. As for Trump, she did as elegant a job as any I have seen to both knock him down to size and avoid minimizing the threat. “In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.” She also deployed some of the most uplifting language we have heard from a nominee since 2012: “Fellow Americans, I love our country with all my heart,” she said. “Everywhere I go — in everyone I meet — I see a nation that is ready to move forward. Ready for the next step in the incredible journey that is America.” Unity, love of country, optimism. (“I see an America where we hold fast to the fearless belief that built our nation. That inspired the world. That here, in this country, anything is possible. Nothing is out of reach”). These words are foreign to Trump. But also, rarely do you hear Democrats revel in “the greatest privilege on Earth: the privilege and pride of being an American.” Her framing of the abortion issue was skillful, with just the right amount of disgust and incredulity. “As a part of his agenda, he and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion and enact a nationwide abortion ban with or without Congress.” She continued, “And get this. He plans to create a national antiabortion coordinator and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions. Simply put: They are out of their minds.” In many ways, it was a speech a Republican of years gone by could have delivered: heavy on crime-fighting, securing the border, promising an “opportunity society,” keeping America’s military the “most lethal” in the world and standing up to dictators such as Russian President Vladimir Putin. (“I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un, who are rooting for Trump because they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors. They know Trump won’t hold autocrats accountable — because he wants to be an autocrat himself.”) As she wrapped up, she made a heartfelt appeal to independents and Republicans. “With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past,” she declared. “A chance to chart a new way forward, not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.” She acknowledged, “I know there are people of various political views watching tonight. And I want you to know: I promise to be a president for all Americans.” This was a presidential-level address, not merely another campaign spiel. Her delivery, timing and demeanor conveyed calm authority. She is betting that patriotism, decency and kindness still win in Americans’ hearts. She stuck the landing this week; now, it’s up to the country to prove her right. By Jennifer Rubin, Friday, August 23, 2024, in The Washington Post

Kamala Harris

 The next President of the United States of America. 

I watched the Democratic Convention every night until the end. It was moving, inspiring, and worth getting to know Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. 

And quoting Oprah “Vote for common sense, not nonsense”!

Join me in supporting the Harris Walz team!

What's Blooming

 
I took a walk around the yard this morning.

Below is the Hosta Garden

The Maple Garden

By my mailbox I planted a dahlia this year.

On the front porch the geranium has recovered from the neglect it experienced while we were traveling.

Blooms to come on sedum

and this monster of a plant - name escapes me.

Finally being away and then being occupied with company the weeds are enjoying the sun and rain too. Here the crabgrass has overpowered the Deck Garden.

I'm headed out shortly to tackle weeds and make some plant moves.

A gardener's job is never done.

Fall Colors?

This tree started coloring up in mid July. 

Noticed these red leaves this week. 

And more trees around showing the orange, yellow and red. The one below we spotted in Vermont on a canopy walk at VINS where we took family on Saturday. 

 

Taking a Break

 Be back before too long to post and read your blogs.

Family here from Buffalo and life is crazy.

Bern's Democracy Tower

Dan and I spent a day in Bern while the rest of the family went looking to touch a glacier. 

Daughter Sarah who didn't make this trip had asked if we were going to see the tower where our ancestor was imprisoned.  We had that in mind when we came to this tower now named the Democracy Tower. 

It once looked like this:

And yes it was a place where people were imprisoned.

Torture probably used this rack that we saw at the Bern museum later in the day.

No signs of torture machines in the Democracy Tower now just the workings of the clock.

And views of the city.

But this door may have been one my ancestor saw from the other side.

More about my ancestor: Reverend Benedict Brechbuohl born in Transelwald, Berne, Switzerland in 1666. He was a leading teacher and preacher of the Swiss Mennonites. Because of his influence with the Mennonites, the Swiss government more than doubled the reward for his capture.  He was imprisoned in 1709, after being expelled twice from Berne. So he would have likely been in this tower.

In 1710 he was deported along with 58 other Mennonites and was on his way to North Carolina when he escaped to Holland and then returned to Manheim, Germany where he had been residing before his capture. At some point he traveled to Prussia to visit land on which King Frederick wished to found a Mennonite Colony.  That didn't work out and after a conference of Mennonite leaders the decision was made to emigrate to Pennsylvania in 1717.

He sold his property in Germany and sailed with his wife and three children to Philadelphia in August 1717.  He purchased land near Strasburg, PA where he farmed for three years until his death in 1720.

My paternal ancestors also were Mennonite who emigrated from Switzerland to PA in 1721.

[My source for this is genealogy research completed by my uncle.]

Two More NH Historical Markers

Last Monday Dan and I headed north to see the northern part of New Hampshire. We took our passports along because we figured we would cross the border to Canada to return home.

I didn't take many photos but we did stop at two historical markers of significance.

 

I'd never heard of Indian Stream until the guy who wrote the book on the NH historical markers made his presentation and featured Indian Stream. This historical marker was the first to be installed in 1958.  The township is now called Pittsburg and is the largest township in New Hampshire. 

Here's a map from the internet. Our route north took us past all three Connecticut Lakes which are on the eastern border of Indian Stream.

The reason for Indian Stream is that the land was claimed by both Canada and the U.S. You can see by the map that the dividing line could have been along the Connecticut and not Hall's Stream.  While the U.S. and Canada disagreed, the residents of the area took it upon themselves to create their own republic.  You can read more about the dispute here on Wikpedia.

And we did come back through Quebec into Vermont but didn't make any stops or take one photo. 

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