Alan A. Alop

Paul, the email you shared with us presents Mr. Trump as a Jesus-like figure, having had to sacrifice “a billionaire lifestyle to now be insulted, dragged through the mud, and lied about, on a daily basis. All to save this country and people he loves." Poor Trump, crucified on the cross of an unholy press.

Trump as our savior! Laying hands on the infirm and distributing loaves and fishes (or is it rolls of paper towels?) to the hungry. 

I am gagging at these thoughts.

The man has sacrificed nothing and is saving no one. He is dragging himself and our country through the mud. He piles lie upon lie, day after day. It is he who repeatedly insults individuals, groups, races and  whole nations.  The only love he knows is for himself.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

“teach music to the child and give the soul a voice”

It’s MLK Day-- a day to serve, a day to help others.

"May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears."  

 -- Nelson Mandela

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Thanks, Steve.  Nothing sweeter the world ‘round than the sound of happy children.

David St. Pierre Bantz

Images below are for those who "cannot imagine" Obama offering comfort and human contact.

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Paul Richard Hain

Steve, I changed my profile photo so you can see a recent picture of daughter Heather and granddaughter, Luci.  Those two always find a way to have fun and cause a hearty laugh.  It's not as easy to see them since they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, but Luci, at seven-and-a-half years (remember, how important it was to add ". . . and-a-half" when we were that age) is a master video phone caller, so we do stay in touch.  It is so good to see your kids and the fun you have together. Life's moments are precious, indeed.  The video was rollicking.  I need directions to that park.  It looks like a place that I would like!

Steve, you and Alan detest Trump.  I accept that.  I am not an apologist for him.  I just believe everyone has something good and redeemable about them.  Alan mentions the "loaves and the fishes" to show Trump's hypocracy.  That same man, Jesus, also taught the crowd who wanted to stone a prostitute, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Certainly, good advice when it seems so easy to judge another.   Trump is a imperfect work in progress as are all the rest of us.  So, there is no point in going down your list and debating them with you.  I respect your opinion too much to do that.  Somewhere, deep in the heart of each of us is hidden a good, decent gem, a character trait that appears every now and then (even in Obama, David Bantz).  We cannot move forward while we cling to the past.  Let's not tear down.  Let's build a future for our kids and grandkids.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Paul, you say you are not a Trump apologist, but how you choose not to “rage rage against the dying of the light” (Dylan Thomas) (of the voice of America) I do not understand.  

As MLK said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”  

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal.”  

“Shallow understanding from people of goodwill is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.  Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

“To ignore evil is to become accomplice to it.”

Why, Paul, do you insist on condoning President Trump’s reprehensible conduct and expecting no sense of accountability from him?  Hopefully Americans will not be tempted to elect such a person again to the Office of President of the United States of America.

Trudi Ann Davis (Davis)

Dear Paul,

I was amazed at your response, it is a Christian virtue that you are referring to and I get that.  However given all of the documented racist statements he has made, how he feels permitted to speak negatively about groups of people, Ecuadorian, Puerto Rican, Haitian,  Mexican , women I can't understand how you feel obligated to come to his defense.  He is totally involved in a very small group of people,  His family, millionaires  and that is it.  The rest has all been window dressing.  Particularly the photo you shared of him reaching out to the veteran without arms. ( by the way did you notice the veteran is white.) Perhaps it was a moment of caring, but there are so few moments.  Where are his tax forms, he or his children are totally taking advantage of being in positions of power, Ivanka's clothes being made in China, getting special advantages, new golf courses to be built in Dubai.

He has totally debased the position of the President in our country.  I realize that I am not politically conservative and I am sure there are things that have been done that make conservatives satisfied.  We should never be satisfied with the kind of behavior that seems to be his trademark, tweeting from the safety of his bedroom where no one can censor his outrageous remarks.

Do you really think he even has read or understands the Constitution?  His CEO behavior is at odds with a democracy.

Happy New Year to you.  And I am thrilled my daughter, Amanda is having her third child in May.  My older daughter is married in fact married twice, once in Spain and once in Evanston.  2017-2018 has been wonderful.

Steve enjoyed your video, there is nothing more wonderful than the laughter of children.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Paul, Trump is all too easy to understand.  

You and those who support Trump are the mystery... the United States and the world are suffering from a vacuum of American leadership... and you give Trump a pass on his rhetoric.  America is at a new low and somehow Trump is worthy your blind loyalty.  

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin is a profile in courage.  Republican Senator Lindsey Graham believes every word Dick Durbin has said about the DACA meeting.  “It’s time to right the ship and be a great country again.”  

Why not put country first and in good faith climb on board to work for positive goals, Paul?

Paul Richard Hain

Steve, to answer your question about why Hillary and Barack are still in the news. They are under investigation for questionable activities involving FISA, secret information leaks, Uranium One, the famous Trump dossier that was funded by the DNC and Clinton Foundation with assistance from Russian aparachniks.  Pay for play $500K to Bill Clinton for speech to influence Hillary's vote for selling 20% of U.S. Uranium assets to Russia.  The list goes on.  We are a nation of laws we all must obey, even if you were president, Secretary of State or candidate for office.  Equal justice for all.

Marvin Irving Blusteln

What a great pic of trump posted by Paul.  It's a year old.  Hitler supposedly was fond of children, probably could find a nice one of him too.

Paul Richard Hain

Hi Steve and interested others,

On January 15th, you asked me to answer a question. "Please explain why Obama or Hilary is relevant to TODAY’s discussions about current POTUS.  Thanks in advance for solving that huge mystery." I answered your question, and you launched a tirade about how I avoid discussing Trump!  

I will not get down in the gutter with you about Trump.  I do not believe I ever said you hate Trump.  Just look at your messages and voodoo doll images from July 2016 through June 2017 and tell me you don't hate Trump.  The answer is self-apparent.

So, no, Steve, I will not be party to an ugly, slanderous, wicked attack on a sitting president, and I urge all of you that feel like Steve does, to take a step back and not be mesmerized by what TV nigh show hosts, Hollywood stars and major media are saying these days.  Do some research yourself and then decide.  Let the investigations, political process run their course.  Is it being done fairly?  

Another point Steve:  It was Alan, not I that initially posted something about Jesus.  I responded with another example.  That is hardly hiding behind religion (your post, January 16th).  And, my answer to your question, stated above is hardly hiding behind the Clintons in order to avoid discussing what you want to say about Trump.

Go ahead and state you views.  Do not expect me to debate them with you.  I have said that I will not be an apologist for Donald Trump.  The media, the Democrat Party, the far Left, the far, far Left, Hollywood, Organizing For America, Antifa, this caucus, that caucus have all joined together in an attack on a sitting president that is unprecedented in American History.  Their goal is, "RESIST!" The will not ever work with Trump. They aim to cripple his administration any way they can; find something criminal he or his team have done; damage him so badly with all these attacks that he will be impeached-Maxine Waters.  This should worry all Americans.  This is a dangerous assault on our Constitution.  Are you going to be party to this?

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Paul, do you listen to AZ conservative Republican Senator Jeff Flake?  There is content to his character.

Without truth democracy perishes.  “Trump has battered and abused the truth.”

Paul Richard Hain

Cute picture, Steve.  Which child is this?  As is often the case, you have misunderstood what I wrote.  Read again, please. I would hope our teachers of a bygone era would at least give me a “C,”  though their judgment might be somewhat different than you expect as my role changed over the years.  The student grew up to be the employer of teachers.

Alan A. Alop

Republican Senator Jeff Flake on the Senate floor:

The president's repeated labelling of our press as "the enemy of the people... should be a source of great shame for us in this body [Senate], especially for those of us in the president's party. For they are shameful, repulsive statements. And, of course, the president has it precisely backward -- despotism is the enemy of the people. The free press is the despot's enemy, which makes the free press the guardian of democracy. When a figure in power reflexively calls any press that doesn't suit him "fake news," it is that person who should be the figure of suspicion, not the press."

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Happy Birthday, Marvin.  

Thanks for putting yourself out there and hanging in on the forum.  

All best wishes to you.

Marvin Irving Blusteln

Thank you, Janis.

Paul Richard Hain

Janis,

Yes, I listened to Jeff Flake's comments about Trump.  I don't know what good his comments will do.  He is a politician voicing his opinions, which is fine.  He is not running for election.  He ran as a conservative, but has operated like a far-left Republican.  Maybe, he will switch party and run for something else. 

Vic Stroetzel

 It's going to be an interesting day for the Democrats, knowing they must stand their ground on DACA and the Shutdown. The Republicans are playing it to the hilt saying the Military will not get paid, even quoting D. Feinstein that people will die. Looking at this, I feel the Dems have no choice but to hold out until DACA is settled in this Bill. If they don't, the  GOP will hold the the carrot in fron of the Dems from now through the election. The GOP couuld care less about DACA, other than it's something thats's important to the Dems. The GOP will use it for every Bill they submit up to the election, but the GOP will never make the deal, unless it's a huge Repulican booster, such as Social Security/Medicare cuts. Which is the next shoe to drop.

 The voters,  if DACA is settled,. will care less about any Shutdown come August and September.

 It's imperative that they stand tall now.

Vic

Kathleen Moyes (Clewell)

Here is the full obituary for Leon Fox which has wife asked me to post to the Niles West reunion site. 

What an interesting life he had after we all graduated!

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mercurynews/obituary.aspx?n=leon-p-fox&pid=187857068&fhid=2111

Frances Garfield (Brown)

Thanks so much Kathy for the obituary.

---fran (Garfield) Brown

Paul Richard Hain

Mr. Fox was such an interesting person.  He left his mark on many of us. We were very fortunate for our lives to intersect with his.

Karen Sue Rolak (Severance)

Wow. Thank you, Kathy, for posting Mr. Fox's obituary. He made a big impact on me, and it saddens me to hear he left this earthly plane. I kept in touch with him for about a decade after high school, and then reconnected on Facebook a while back. He lived a full and honorable life, and I feel privileged to have known him. 

Alan A. Alop

Government Working to Protect Its Citizens:

The Tennessee state legislature recently enacted a law which prohibits visitors to the legislative chamber from carrying signs because they "represent a serious safety hazard." Yet the same legislature allows visitors to carry guns into the legislative chambers.

Marvin Irving Blusteln

Just out.  Trump announces he will answer any questions from Mueller on the day he releases his tax returns.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Happy Birthday, Richard Bolgioni.  

It’s been months since Trump’s interview with the Australian Prime Minister when he praised Australia’s Health Care System.  

Hope our Health Care System is doing well by you and we soon see our way clear to strengthen Health Care in America.  

You are one of our many classmates with a 1947 birthday.  With all best wishes to you and in the coming year.