Threat to Democracy

I generally don’t like to put politics directly on social media. So I’m posting this on my blog. 

There is a real threat to our democracy. I will say it directly! Electing Donald Trump as President in 2024 could very quickly end this democracy. And I believe that it’s still worth saving. People before us and among us have fought and died for it. 

 

Some points:

• Trump is not a good businessman. Arrogance and narcissism are NOT the characteristics of a good leader. Vulnerability and an understanding of human beings? That’s what makes a true leader. He has stepped on people to achieve wealth and has bragged about it. 
• Trump does not believe in the rule of law. And without that, we become a third-world country, period!
• He fueled an insurrection against the United States. He violated his oath of office. According to the 14th Amendment, he should be disqualified from office. 
• Trump’s words clearly show he is racist. His rhetoric is Hitler-like. He doesn’t believe we are at all equal, and he believes himself to be smarter, better, and more insightful than anyone. In a word, that’s just dangerous!
• There is so much more about him that is too numerous to list here. 

Many of his supporters have no real understanding of how dangerous he is to our freedoms and our place in the world. 

 

Moreover, the fact that so many support him is very bewildering to me! I am scared for future generations. I say this as a moderate Democrat who is not at all happy with the Democratic Party. And I have voted Republican in general elections. 

 

So disagree with me if you want. Unfriend me if you like. But I implore you think of what hangs in the balance if this man gets elected.

Birthday Reflections

1968 was an eventful year in America. Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King were both assassinated, Vietnam war protests were happening, and Andy Warhol was shot in June of that year. I was 13 then, so these significant events were only in the background of my life.

My favorite birthday was in 1968. To that point, I never had a brand-new bike. Money was tight, so my dad and I would acquire old bicycles which we would then refurbish. We had a party a Conte’s Bar on Birch Street for my sister’s graduation from Scranton Tech, and were celebrating my birthday at the same time. I expected small gifts but certainly not a new bike.

My mom and dad led me to the front room and there sat my new 20” bike with a banana seat and a chrome fork integrated into the steering neck (similar to the picture). It was the bicycle of my dreams! I rode it in the alley next to Conte’s during the party. For the next few years, I rode it constantly and kept the chrome and paint polished. At age 16, cars came into the picture and the bike was worn out.

I have some great memories of birthday’s past, but 1968 stands out. 55 years later, I appreciate the people around me more than anything material.

Funny how time changes perspectives!

Made in America

References to "Made in America" are abundant. Unfortunately, “Made in America” should really be stated as “Assembled in America”. This is especially true for complex pieces made in American factories.

Most US automotive companies like Ford and General Motors assemble their cars in America. Still some 75% to 90% of the subassemblies are made in Mexico, Guatemala, Taiwan, and many other low wage countries across the globe. It’s interesting that Toyota Motor Company, a Japanese-based firm, builds the vehicles for the American market in America. Toyota is a little different than Ford and General Motors in that they are diligent about using American companies to produce their subassemblies. They don’t do that to be patriotic, they do it for logistical reasons. Like most companies, they work on a “just in time” inventory system, so the logistics of getting the parts to their plant is a large consideration. And Toyota quality standards are very high.

My wheelchair is a perfect example. It is assembled in their headquarters in Exeter Pennsylvania. However, since these wheelchairs are very complex, there is no way that Quantum Rehab Corporation can manufacture all the subassemblies. Most of them are made in Mexico. And since shipping is very complex and costly due to a global pandemic, delivery to the customer becomes more of a long-term process. With Quantum Rehab, it’s great that all the engineering for the units is done in America. The quality of what they do is evident and reflective of the power of American engineering.

We live in a global marketplace. An America-first policy, a mantra of the prior presidential administration, is ridiculous in a global marketplace. It’s unsustainable because America can’t shut out the rest of the world. We really need to encourage companies to follow Toyota‘s lead.

Made in America is a wonderful thing to strive for. And thriving is reflected in how well we compete in a global marketplace.

Religious Hypocrisy

Many people find their relationship with God through religious ceremony and rites at church. Having been brought up Catholic, I certainly understand how people can find God through religion. My story is different.

Everything changed when I contemplated the theory of oneness. Many people view God as a separate being. I view God as the all-powerful force that creates our spirit and is our soul. God is the force that manifests everything, including our body. This is a view that aligns with science. Science and religion are not so separate, and Quantum physics points to this creative and mysterious energy. Albert Einstein understood this. 

 

This potential energy is beyond our comprehension. It’s something we as human beings will never understand while we are manifest in this body. It remains in mystery. And I embrace that mystery. The idea of a separate God is, to me, an unnecessary leap of faith. Moments of silence, and when I stop to notice the world around me, is when God becomes evident in my world. That potential energy, or God, is pure love. Everything around us is manifested by this creative force which is constant and loving. 

 

We are really souls with bodies. As Rumi said, "...we are the drops in the ocean and the ocean in a drop". Before we were manifest in this body, we were a bundle of potential energy. We were, are, and will be a soul for eternity. Because when we die, this potential energy just lives on in a different form.

 

I believe in the laws of karma. Karma says that the energy you put out into the world is the energy you will receive back. Karma says that the reason we are on the earth is to share with and support others. Karma says we attract what we focus on. 

 

I’ve seen many cases where religion has failed in all of these areas. Some "religious" people look at themselves as the chosen ones and think of everyone else as unchosen, different, or evil. It often creates an atmosphere of harsh judgment rather than inclusivity. That is hypocritical and is precisely reflected in American Politics. 

Moreover, religion is a man-made concept. With religion, we rely on a separate being for our existence. But as Eckhart Tolle said, “God is not a being; God is being itself“. 

 

God becomes evident when we stop seeking Him. That took me many years to realize. 

Work Skills and Passion

One thing I really admire is a tradesman who possesses the gift of teaching. I grew up with one.

My dad was an electrician. He was Superintendent on many jobs for several contractors. But unlike others of his era who didn't like sharing information, he really enjoyed teaching others what he knew. In my case, I learned much more from my dad than I did from school. He taught me practical things like common sense and the ability to work with my hands (when I could). These along with less practical and more academic skills like calculus, algebra, and geometry.

My father was an interesting, brilliant, and multifaceted man who was just as comfortable in a boardroom or speaking in front of people as he was on a construction job. My mom had many of the same traits. She taught me to never throw in the towel when things get difficult. My mother had extreme resilience and grit and was very well-read.

In my work life, I was very fortunate to have worked in a career-technical school. For all my career, I worked around trade professionals who could teach. It was truly amazing, and I acquired and honed a deep, varied skill set. I was as comfortable in the shop areas as I was at my desk. The organizational skills that I learned from my dad served me very well as CFO of a trade school. I looked forward to the challenges of my job every single day! I also became passionate about career and technical education, and how it can be exactly what many students need to do well in life.

There is much to be said about being great at one skill, but it's also very important to expand that skill set. I am fortunate to have gathered a good balance of depth and breadth in terms of practical and thinking skills.  

My advice to students who are transitioning into the working world is simple. First, show up! Secondly, show up with a good working attitude. Keep your ears open and learn from the professionals around you. And never think for a minute that you are done building your skills. If you are good at something, pursue it with passion.

It's very hard to stop a person with passion. Passion develops over time, and it takes real effort. There's nothing magical about it! It's like a feeling of flow when you are doing something that you really enjoy.

Mentorship

 We all encounter mentors during our lives. Many times, the lessons go far beyond work skills and everyday interactions. Mentors teach us how to negotiate through the difficult times in life. We connect with them and internalize the lessons at a deep level. Dan Santarelli was one of those very special mentors in my life.

 I met Danny early in my career at the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County. He taught Auto Mechanics and had the “teacher’s gift”. Danny had high expectations of his students and always pushed them to be their personal best. Danny also was an instructor in the Dale Carnegie program where he inspired the lives of many people. He would begin his Dale Carnegie classes asking how everyone was doing. Receiving tepid feedback, he would lead them to a frenzied response of “I’m fine and dandy and glad to be here”! His zest for life was contagious.

Each morning before work, several of us would sit around the table and have discussions, with Dan often leading those discussions. He had natural interpersonal skills and served as a mentor to other teachers at CTC. Danny was a true life-long learner and once said “to teach is to learn twice”. He often spoke about how he learned important lessons from his students.

 Danny and I had a real and formidable connection. He made me a better person. He stirred something good in people and people responded. Dan Santarelli promoted positive change in people’s lives. 

 And that, my friends, is what mentorship is all about!  

Principles vs. Politics

 

Principles are the unchanging pillars that inform our moral compass. Principles are something most of us agree on, and I’ve learned through experience that abandoning them rarely produces positive results for myself and for those around me. Attempting to lead a life base on principle is something engrained in me throughout childhood and retaining that in my life has always been foundational.

Those of us born in the 50’s and 60’s grew up in a country where our moral compass was the agreed upon bedrock of politics and government. We measured our success as a nation in terms of shared principles spelled out by our founders. This applied without regard to our political party; we generally agreed on the importance of truthfulness, propriety, kindness, critical thinking, and the basic humanity we all share. There was little confusion around what we were about and the principles we shared.

Fundamental principles have not changed even in this information age. Yet, we as a nation are more divided than ever. It seems we no longer agree on these essentials, and I believe we are reaping the negative results of abandoning them. It is so easy to lose sight of important fundamentals we all share when information is endless. Many Americans have lost the ability to apply common sense against this barrage of multiple medias. And fundamental truths get lost in the shuffle.

It is my sincere hope that we as a nation can see through the detritus and embrace the principles essential to American life, and the values of America as the leader of the free world. The moral fabric of the United States of America hangs in the balance. That said, there is no “perfect” candidate. Candidates are as flawed as the rest of us. We need to see through the rhetoric and choose based on how closely they compare with values we all share.

 This election isn’t about politics, it’s about bringing back principles.