Manns Medium

When can 30 percent of the GOP and Russia take control of an entire nation and its people and rewrite a nation’s history?  It happens when 100 percent of Democrats, 100 percent of Independents and the entire rest of the globe sit idly by an allow it.  Many now say taking down statues could be the answer to our nation’s ills and some say waving of the Confederate Flag is offensive because of what that flag stands for.  Others say that the statues are a piece of our history and that the Confederate Flag is a symbol of our democracy where those who disagree with the current course are free to stand and resist both may have a valid point but all are missing the deeper and real issue.  It is not the statues that possess an issue, it is those who idolize and worship those statues.   It is not the Confederate Flag that is offensive and carries with it the dark history of a nation; it is those who stand beneath it and behind that way of life.  It is not nor n...

To the die-hard Democrats and strong supporters of Hillary Clinton, it is very difficult to find any up-side to the stealing of an election by 15 people who makes the ultimate decision of who will lead this country and to the die-hard Conservatives and strong supporters of Donald Trump, it is a time to celebrate and speak the words that avoided them often which is “just give the man a chance”. Now many questions comes to mind none of which seems more relevant than the idea that a female is ill-equipped to lead a nation such as this one but there is one that seems to escape even the most intelligent of our species which is when has a nation built to serve people is better served if we run this country as a business rather than as a nation of people. So far, those being interviewed for key positions is more of a who’s who of those less concerned about unity and more concerned about their own specific ideology.  This strikes fear in many and elation in others all the while th...

Let’s not get it twisted and make no mistake, I have never been and will never be a Trump supporter but now that the choice has been made, it’s time to put away the pitchforks and torches and get down to the business of this country.  Regardless of how you feel either way, we still have a job to do as Americans and that is making sure that we minimize any and all damages by those we choose to lead us or those chosen to lead us by others. If you think that this election was stolen by the Electoral College, as I do, then the first thing we have to do is make a decision.  Do we remove those who made this choice or do we remove the power that they used to make it?  These are our only real choices because sitting around and complaining about the results will get us nowhere accept more frustrated, angry and exactly where those who have always believed that America was not the land of opportunity we claim all over the world.  If you think that those who voted for him w...

Washington politicians and the media that covers them wishes all of us to think that this so-called Tea Party Movement has taken over the GOP and candidates running for office has no other alternative except say outrages and outlandish things to get their vote.  Common wisdom in this up-coming election as well as a few prior says that the Republican voter wants obstruction to anything President Obama wants to do or want them to stand against anything he stands for.  They wish you to believe that common wisdom says that the Republican voter wants to get rid of governmental agencies, defund Obamacare and Planned Parenthood.  Common wisdom says that the Republican voter despises Obama, is racist and is full of bigotry and hatred for anyone who don’t look, act or think like them.  Common wisdom says that the Republican voter wants everything Washington does to be about finding dirty laundry to expose on anyone who is not Republican and they should remain obstruction...

Presidential Historians are always attempting to vocalize what an American President will be forever known for.  Many see President Obama’s legacy as quite clear and simple.  He will be forever known as the first Black American President, he may be known for being the one to usher in health care for all, he may be known for turning around a dying economy, a growing deficit and closing down two wars but there is a portion of his legacy that seems to go unseen and unspoken.  President Obama may be known for removing the curtain behind which so many of us have hid and revealed an even more disturbing and deeper truth that has been facing us since the dawn of time.  President Obama may just be remembered as the president who forced all of us to face that image in the mirror and face racism head-on once and for all. I say that because lately it appears clear that so many people who would normally not utter any statement remotely close to a racist statement are speaki...

American made history with the nominations and confirmation of the first enlisted man given the highest job in our military.  The nomination and eventually confirmation of Chuck Hagel did more for moral within the enlisted ranks than ever but this was never noted or reported on because media seeks confrontation instead of collaboration. Now this media is all up in arms about Mr. Hagel’s resignation.  In an effort to find some point of confrontation, top media elites like Mark Murray of NBC wishes America to know that his resignation is all about the White House having no confidence in his leadership.  They speak of having this resignation coming at the wrong time and how it will be seen as disruptive to the many functions that our military is involved in right now.  Even after Chris Jansing, White House Correspondence for NBC news attempted to clear that line of thinking by reminding all that this post for Hagel was within the agreed upon 2 year hitch.  Med...

In a taped interview, after the meeting between President Obama and Republicans, Paul Ryan asked that there cease to be talk about mis-characterization of his plan and civility.   I can remember when Obama asked for this same civility; Ryan did not think civility was possible. After getting hammered from his voters regarding the GOP plan about his Medicare plan, he is now feeling the need for civility.     The saddest part of this development is that even those who may wish to support him and his position will not lead them to the White House.   At what point will America finally demand accountability and not hypocrisy.     They have not proposed one jobs bill but several attacks on women’s rights.   They have not done one thing promised on the campaign trail but have made several attempts to change Medicare as we know it.   They have whined about the deficit but refuse to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire or cut subsidies to big oil. If any ...

Joe Pompeo penned an article titled How Fox News is fueling the Common non-controversy in which he reports that “It began with a single post on The Daily Caller, the first to draw attention to Common's participation in the poetry reading organized by First Lady Michelle Obama. The conservative website ignited the blaze by noting that the Chicago-born rapper--real name Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr--" is quite controversial, in part because his poetry includes threats to shoot police and at least one passage calling for the "burn[ing]" of then-President George W. Bush ."   From there, the furor migrated over to the airwaves of Fox News, where the right-wing outrage of pundits like Sean Hannity helped fuel a vigorous churn of blog posts, online video embeds--and retorts from talking heads on the left, like Comedy Central host Jon Stewart.” My only question is if this is all you have to keep your people heated about President Barack Obama, then you must be missing ...

Nothing demises a spirit more than having those who were not actively involved micro-managing the results of success.   One does not question those who have questions and often times revel in the fact that there is interest in what they did but when it comes to arm-chair quarterbacking and back seat driving, it gets quite annoying. In an article written by Jim Kuhnhenn of the Associated Press titled Raid poses narrative challenge for White House , the clear answer to why this narrative may not be happening fast enough for media were close to the very top of his own article.   "We review this information and make these decisions with the same calculation as we do with so many things — what we're trying to accomplish and does it serve or in any way harm our interests, not just domestically but globally," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.”   Toward the lower half of the article even more reasoning for patience was expressed "A graphic image such as that has the...

I had not thought much about this until I watched breaking news about the meeting between President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Majority Leader John Boehner.   I heard the president mention the name of a fellow American who had been interviewed by the mainstream media which he said that if he could address all of the parties involved it would be to tell them to grow up and get to an agreement because a shutdown would hinder his ability to provide for his family.   This gentleman was waiting on his tax return to help him shave off disparity and a shutdown may delay his receipt of that return longer.   It occurred to me that with so much of the talk centering on a government shutdown, we neglected to see the stories of those who would really be affected. It also made me aware that John Boehner is third in line for the presidency if something were to happen to those ahead of him. I began to question just how effective he would be in that position cons...

While I can understand why President Obama wishes to step back and allow Senate and House leaders to be leaders, I was excited to hear some of the quotes attributed to this president by David Espo, Associated Press Special Correspondent in his article titled Obama presses Congress to avoid shutdown .   No grown man or woman wishes to treated like a child or have their integrity questioned so stepping back allows them the opportunity to demonstrate that they are adults but when this type of need drags on and on because neither wishes to play with the other, it is time for an adult to step in and say enough.   Obama stepped forcefully into the dispute, at times sounding like an exasperated parent. He convened a meeting at the White House with the chief congressional antagonists, rejected a Republican proposal for an interim bill with sharp cuts and then announced Boehner and Reid would meet later in the day.   If they can't sort out their differences, he said, "I want them ...

Glen Beck made a very big mistake when he said that this protest was not about the people, it was and it is.   It says more about the drive to freedom that so many of us take for granted.   There are even a few Americans who wonder if sacrificing their lives in the streets of Egypt is smart and this coming from Americans in itself is quite rich. We know that this is all about the people when a couple of people with very cushy and safe jobs step away to side with the protestors fighting and dying for a little bit of freedom.   Two people from the State-run Television Station in Egypt walked out when they saw that they were controlled beyond his point of showing what was really going on in Egypt.   That took heart and courage on a grander scale and is exactly what happened when those who sailed the seas in search of a new world took flight. We know that his is when we see peaceful protestors setting up make shift camps and treating the occasion like a carnival until ...

I remember arriving in Rockford, IL after being discharged from the U. S. Marines and looking forward to not only re-connecting with my mother and family but feeling a sense of accomplishment having survived service to my country from September 1981 till April 1991.   That feeling was quickly short-lived. The first job I landed was a security gig with a local security company and because the manager was also a former Marine, it was expected that I would fit in quite well especially since all that time In the Marines were as a military policeman.   It all started out pretty good but quickly spoiled when I could not understand why a unit was operating more like individuals.   Having been used to a group of people who may animatedly disagree about nearly everything could still be counted on to stand together and put mission over individual accomplishments.   Thinking that maybe this “esprit-de-corp” was out there somewhere led me on a quest to find it. It became appar...