Thoughts for the Day, June 18, 2025: Political violence, like all violence, is unacceptable.

Political Assassinations

When I was told about the horrific political assassinations which occurred in Minnesota on Saturday, my stomach started churning. At the time, I did not know the party affiliate of the victims, nor did I care. There is no excuse for violence, political or not.

For me, it brought back memories of the 60s and 70s when in a short period our country struggled through the assassinations of JFK, MLK, Jr., RFK, and the unsuccessful assassinations of Governor Wallace and President Reagan. The impact of these assassinations on our country is immeasurable. We will never know how things may have been different if they would have been able live a full life.

It is scary that the assassin in Minnesota had a list of 70 potential targets, including citizens of Michigan. Our current political environment is a breeding ground for extremists like the assassin in Minnesota.

I hope others feel the same as me that political violence and assassinations are not acceptable. We cannot go back to the 60s and 70s when political violence was a regular occurrence in our lives.

*******************************************************************************************************

How is Israel funding three wars?

I have been wondering how a small country like Israel can afford to fund wars on multiple fronts. Here is what I have found out.

Under a 10-year agreement between the U.S and Israel signed in 2016, the U.S. supplies $3.8 billion annually in grants to Israel which Israel uses to buy U.S. military equipment. In addition, during the first year of the war with Gaza, the U.S. supplied Israel with nearly $18 billion in military aid.

From 2019 to 2023, the United States supplied 69 percent of Israel’s arms imports, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which tracks the global weapons trade. Germany supplied 30 percent and Italy supplied 1 percent. These amounts have changed since the start of the Israel/Gaza war.

Over time, the U.S. has consistently provided 15% of the funding of Israel’s military budget.

Look for the U.S. funding to go up in 2025 as Israel is fighting wars on three different fronts. (Iran, Hezbollah, Gaza)

*******************************************************************************************************

Michigan Disclosure Laws are FUBAR.

From Bridge Michigan-Under the 2022 ballot measure approved by more than two-thirds of voters, Michigan officials are constitutionally required to file periodic personal financial disclosures.

But implementation of what exactly politicians have to disclose was left up to legislators to decide, and the requirements ultimately finalized in a late-night legislative session left substantial gaps relative to what members of Congress are required to disclose.

Critics of the new rules note officials can transfer assets to their spouse to avoid disclosing them, and don’t have to report the free, lobbyist-paid travel that many elected officials have enjoyed.

When it comes to disclosure, our state officials are ignorant idiots. Here is the full article.

Tech flaws, weak rules mar Michigan system to shine light on lawmaker conflicts | Bridge Michigan

****************************************************************************************************

Sending U.S. troops into our cities is unconstitutional and tactically unsound

Here are excerpts from an opinion piece from Michel R. Moore, the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 2018 to 2024.

Over the past week, President Trump has deployed more military troops to the streets of Los Angeles than there are stationed in Iraq and Syria. The president has warned that if protests break out in other cities, he’ll send troops to “attack” with even greater force. “You’ll have them all over the country,” he said.

That would be a mistake. Deploying soldiers to any American city isn’t just at odds with the principles of our democracy. It’s tactically unsound. Let me be clear: I admire the honorable men and women who serve in our military. But they are not the right tool for this mission — certainly not under these conditions and not without first exhausting the substantial civilian resources already in place.

I speak from experience. Over the course of more than 40 years with the Los Angeles Police Department — including nearly six as chief of police — I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t in times of civil unrest. I was an officer during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, when federal troops were last deployed to our streets. I witnessed the confusion and the risks created by sending soldiers trained for combat into a civilian environment. Even basic commands like “cover me” were misunderstood — interpreted by troops as calls for gunfire rather than tactical positioning. Whereas police officers are taught to use time, distance and de-escalation, soldiers are trained to apply overwhelming force.

There is no question that serious unrest and violence have occurred in parts of downtown Los Angeles. Attacks on buildings and threats to public safety must be taken seriously. But this is not an insurrection. These incidents are localized, and local law enforcement agencies are fully capable of addressing them.

California’s emergency response infrastructure is among the most advanced in the country. Its emergency management system and mutual aid plan allow it to request help from neighboring law enforcement agencies, the California Highway Patrol and, when needed, the California National Guard. I have overseen the activation of these systems in response to both natural disasters and overwhelming disorder. They work — and they are rooted in principles of local control, coordination and public accountability. Deploying federal troops undermines all three.

Here is the link to the full article.

Opinion | I Ran the L.A.P.D. I Know What Happens When Troops Are Sent to American Cities. - The New York Times

***************************************************************************************************

Ron Gettelfinger-The UAW needs you to come back.

Not since Ron Gettelfinger who retired in 2010 has the UAW had a president who honored his position.

Per the Detroit News, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain illegitimately retaliated against the second most-powerful leader of the union in stripping her of power after threatening to "slit" the "throats" of anyone who "messed" with his inner circle, a government watchdog said late Tuesday.

The watchdog, lawyer Neil Barofsky, leveled the allegation in a quarterly report delivered to U.S. District Judge David Lawson, who gained broad control of a deal to oversee the UAW in 2020 following a years-long public corruption scandal. The scandal sent two former union presidents, Gary Jones and Dennis Williams, to federal prison along with several others convicted of breaking labor laws, stealing union funds and receiving bribes, kickbacks and illegal benefits from contractors and auto executives…

The report offered an unflattering, behind-the-scenes view of Fain's management style and portrayed him as a foul-mouthed, angry and threatening labor leader. The report raises questions about whether Fain will be punished and about what impact his actions could have on a union that narrowly avoided being taken over by the government five years ago due to criminal wrongdoing.

If the UAW leaders are doing this under the eyes of a federal watchdog, can you imagine what it would be like if they were left on their own. Is it any wonder many of the previous UAW leadership since 2010 ended up in prison.

**************************************************************************************************

On the Brink

This appeared today in The Guardian from Editor Guardian U.S., Betsy Reed.

In any country on the cusp of authoritarianism, the role of the press as an engine of scrutiny, truth and accountability becomes increasingly critical.

It feels like we have reached that point in the US.

When elected officials of the opposing party are arrested or handcuffed, when the military is deployed to quell overwhelmingly peaceful protest, when student activists are jailed and deported, and when a wide range of civic institutions – non-profits, law firms, universities, news outlets, the arts, the civil service, scientists – are targeted and penalized by the federal government, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that our core freedoms are disappearing before our eyes – and democracy itself is slipping away.

And at this unnerving moment, the Guardian’s global perspective is helping contextualize and illuminate what we are experiencing here in the United States. That doesn’t mean we have a single viewpoint, but we do have a shared set of values. Humanity, curiosity and honesty guide us, and our work is rooted in solidarity with ordinary people and hope for our shared Not every news organization sees its mission the way we do – indeed, some have been pressured by their corporate and billionaire owners to avoid antagonizing this administration. But at the Guardian, our only financial obligation is to fund independent journalism in perpetuity: we have no ultrarich owner, no shareholders, no corporate bosses with the power to overrule or influence our editorial decisions.

Thank you to The Guardian.

******************************************************************************************************

Sleep well Britain

“The UK is very well protected. You know why? Because I like them, that's why. That's the ultimate protection.” President Trump told reporters yesterday.

This sounds like something you would hear in the Godfather movies. This is my Quote of the Day

*************************************************************************************

Orchid of the Day: A resort township fireman, who used the township firetruck with its flashers on, to stop traffic on U.S. 31 at the entrance to Crooked Tree so a very large snapping turtle could cross the busy highway during the Tuesday morning rush. The fireman accompanied the turtle as it made its way across the highway, giving the turtle small nudges to move the turtle along.

Onion of the Day: The assassin in Minnesota. Four lives and two families changed forever because of this senseless political violence

Lyrics of the Day: I was scared and fearing for my life. I was shaking like a leaf on a tree. 'Cause he was lean, and mean, and Big and bad, Lord, a-pointing that gun at me.
"Oh wait a minute, mister, I didn't even kiss her. Don't want no trouble with you. And I know you don't owe me, but I wish you would let me
Ask one favor from you".

If you think you know the lyrics send me your answer in the comments section of the blog.

Answer to the Lyrics of the Day for June 11, 2025: Kokomo by the Beach Boys

Question of the Day: The Tigers have a 9.5 game lead in the Central Division. Will they hold on to win the division title, or will the injury bug catch up to them?

Video of the Day: The ladies are playing like the “Bad Boys”

3 EJECTED after fight as Sophie Cunningham stands up for Caitlin Clark