Thoughts for the Day, Tax Day and Jackie Robinson Day: See my Video of the Day

Jackie Robinson Day

April 15 is Jackie Robinson Day in the MLB. On this date in 1947 Robinson broke into the MLB with the Brooklyn Dodgers. On this day every MLB player wears the number 42, Robinson’s number. The number is officially retired by the MLB. The last player to wear the number was Mariano Rivera, the Hall of Fame reliever from the NY Yankees. See my Video of the Day. Robinson was much more than a baseball player.

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Our democracy is in peril

I am not a person who says the sky is falling when it is not. I have always been levelheaded, and I rarely act out of emotion. What I say here today is not of emotion, it is not of fearmongering, it is not of hyperbole. It is from my heart.

President Trump is on a course to turn our country’s democracy into a dictatorship. His playbook has been written in Project 2025. It is playing out in our courts today as Trump and his Justice Department lawyers defy a court order that has been backed by a 9-0 vote of SCOTUS.

If Donald Trump can refuse a court order to return a person he has illegally deported to a foreign prison where he is paying for him to be held in indefinite custody, then he can do it to American citizens, too.

Yesterday President Trump said to El Salvador President Bukele on an open Mic, "Home-growns are next. The home-growns. You gotta build about five more places. It's not big enough,"

The Republican Congress will not reign him in. The courts have no means to enforce their orders. Trump has no guardrails. We get closer to a dictatorship every day.

I repeat this quote from Pastor Martin Niemöller in post-World War II Germany. I have modified it to apply today.

First, they came for the illegal immigrants, and I did not speak out—because I was not an illegal immigrant.

Then they came for the legal immigrants, and I did not speak out—because I was not a legal immigrant.

Then they came for those accused of a crime, and I did not speak out—because I was not accused of a crime.

Then they came for people of different color, and I did not speak out because I was not of different color.

Then they came for the protestors, and I did not speak out because I was not a protestor.

Then they came for people who did not agree with them, and I did not speak out.

Then they came for people that were not loyal enough to them, and I did not speak out.

Then they came for me.

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Quotes of the Day

“If there were a map that showed democracy slipping into dictatorship, we would be at the spot marked “You are here.” We shouldn’t sugarcoat the danger. Due process matters to immigrants and Americans alike. When the presidency refuses to honor it, we are all in danger. Donald Trump could snap his fingers and secure Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States. We all know that’s true, no matter what pretense this administration assumes.” Joyce Vance

“It’s wrong. And it also means that none of us are safe. If the government can spirit you out of the country before your lawyers can get to court, it’s just too bad.” Heather Cox Richardson

“The Government’s argument, moreover, implies that it could deport and incarcerate any person, including U. S. citizens, without legal consequence, so long as it does so before a court can intervene.” Justice Sotomayor, joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson.

“If I understand this correctly, the US president has launched a trade war against the world, believes he can force the EU and China to meet his terms, is determined to annex Canada and Greenland, but is powerless before the sovereign might of El Salvador. Is that it?” NPR’s Steven Inskeep

The “rhetorical game the administration is playing, where it pretends it lacks the power to ask for Abrego Garcia to be returned while Bukele pretends he doesn’t have the power to return him, is an expression of obvious contempt for the Supreme Court—and for the rule of law.” Adam Serwer wrote today in The Atlantic,

“Trump’s declaration this morning that he wanted to deport “homegrown criminals” suggests that the plan all along has been to be able to get rid of U.S. citizens by creating a “Schroedinger’s box” where anyone can be sent but where once they are there the U.S. cannot get them back because they are “in the custody of a foreign sovereign.” Chris Geidner of Law Dork

“Due process matters to immigrants and Americans alike. When the presidency refuses to honor it, we are all in danger. Donald Trump could snap his fingers and secure Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States. We all know that’s true, no matter what pretense this administration assumes.” Joyce Vance

“To date nothing has been done. Nothing. We’re going to move. There will be no tolerance for gamesmanship or grandstanding.” “Defendants therefore remain obligated, at a minimum, to take the steps available to them toward aiding, assisting, or making easier Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador,” Judge Paula Xinis, told the Justice Department in the case of Abrego Garcia.

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Orchid of the Day

The Orchid of the Day goes to Harvard University. Here are excerpts from their letter to university staff announcing they are not complying with the Trump administrations demands.

Late Friday night, the administration issued an updated and expanded list of demands, warning that Harvard must comply if we intend to “maintain [our] financial relationship with the federal government.” It makes clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner. Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the “intellectual conditions” at Harvard.

I encourage you to read the letter to gain a fuller understanding of the unprecedented demands being made by the federal government to control the Harvard community. They include requirements to “audit” the viewpoints of our student body, faculty, staff, and to “reduc[e] the power” of certain students, faculty, and administrators targeted because of their ideological views. We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement. The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.

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We are a little jumpy

Last night, within seconds of posting my blog, we lost power again. It brought back immediate flashbacks from the ice storm and 7 days without power.

Fortunately, Leah and I are very experienced, and we went about our business doing what we needed to prepare for the unknown. After going over our game plan, Leah and I settled down for the night. Just as we were ready to call it a night, the power came back on.

After high fiving each other, the relief I felt was unexpected. I was emotionally frozen for about 10 minutes. I was elated but I was spent.

The purchase of a full-house natural gas generator is now in the works.

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Quote of the Day: See above

Orchid of the Day: Harvard University for standing up to Trump’s attempt to meddle in the operations of a private university.

Onion of the Day: To those who waited until the last minute to complete their taxes and spent the day stressing over something that could have been handled days and weeks ago. Avoidance and procrastination is usually not a good strategy.

Lyrics of the Day: Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron Dien Bien Phu falls, "Rock Around the Clock"

Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn's got a winning team Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Krushchev Princess Grace, Peyton Place, Trouble in the Suez

Answer to Lyrics of the Day for April 14, 2025: Daydream Believer by the Monkees

Question of the Day: The Tigers have the best record in the American League going into tonight’s game. Can they keep it up for the remainder of the year?

Video of the Day: Jackie Robinson interviewed on Dick Cavett Show

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