Robbie, Tony, George,

The past three months our world has gone through many trials and tribulations as survival was the main goal during our first pandemic of the twenty-first century.  And as our country seems to be settling into a new normal an appalling act happens…police brutality. I have struggled with what to say and what to feel.  This act of police brutality is nothing new, and it is nothing new on all people.  Because I want to address the facts, I am going to break this up into sections. I am going to address law enforcement – specifically the bad but also the good. I will address race – and when I say that I want you to know I see all color!

Law Enforcement

Here is the issue with speaking out after the George Floyd death – this is more than a black man killed at the hands of white police officers. This is not just a race issue…only one short year ago a white man in Dallas was killed…a white man at the hands of bad police. I am not removing the fact that George Floyd is black, rather am showing that this is not just a race issue.  There are multiple issues that need to be addressed when putting a microscope on the death of George Floyd and law enforcement.

So let’s get down and dirty here:

• There needs to be a better selection process when hiring law enforcement officers.
• For those law enforcement officers who are the right ones we need to have better education on mental health, on cultures, on different world views and we need to have a way to minister to law enforcement so that burnout and compassion fatigue do not occur causing good cops to turn bad.
• We need to recognize color – we are each different and there is nothing wrong with that.
• We need to recognize that there are issues surrounding the differences we have and the cultures that are part of that; to include that there is a disproportionately large amount of crime in the black/brown culture especially on each other.
• Lastly we as the citizens of the United States need to take responsibility to keep government officials and law enforcement accountable that not all of them are bad. We need to remember when we protest to do it responsibly and not violently or this happens:

These are just a few of the law enforcement departments that have felt the pain and loss of officers:

-A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer was shot in the back of the head while struggling with a rioter

-An active shooter opened fire on law enforcement at a Las Vegas courthouse

-4 St. Louis Police Officers were shot by an active shooter

-A New York Police Officer was struck by a vehicle

-3 Buffalo law enforcement officers were struck by a vehicle in front of the police station

-3 Davenport law enforcement officers were ambushed and 1 was shot

-132 officers were injured in Chicago during a riot

-9 Pittsburg officers were injured by objects during a riot

-Several officers in Rhode Island were injured during riots

-An active shooter opened fire at the Oakland Police Department

-2 officers were struck in the head with projectiles in Santa Ana

-2 Richland officers were shot in Virginia

-1 officer was struck in the head by a brick in Albany

-4 Prince William County Police Officers sustained head injuries from projectiles

-7 officers were injured in Sacramento

-Several officers were shot at and injured in Lynchburg

-Several Champaign Police Officers were injured

-3 Oak Law Police Officers were injured

-21 officers were injured in Salt Lake City

-At least 50 Secret Service Agents were injured by Molotov cocktails in Washington

-3 Denver Police Officers were ran over by a vehicle

-33 New York Police Officers were injured during riots

-6 Athens Police Officers injured during a protest

-2 Capitol Police Officers were injured during a riot in Harrisburg

-12 Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officers were injured during riots

-21 Minneapolis law enforcement officers injured in riots

-1 Federal Protective Services Officer was shot and killed!

 

For example, Nix would want numbers not only on how many times a police officer shoots their weapon, but every time they draw their gun. “You need a benchmark that says how often they were in certain circumstances where they could have shot but did not. That gets us closer to the likelihood of racial bias.” (Mock, 2019)

Race

“Racism is not a thing that white people can have and black people can’t. And nobody’s research would suggest that it does.” (Mock, 2019)

It is important to recognize why there is such an issue with race relations here in the United States and the reason that is being utilized for blaming problems in the Black and Brown community on White people.

Historical trauma is considered trauma that is perpetuated on multiple generations “experienced by a specific culture, racial or ethnical group” (“Trauma,” n.d.). Many would suggest that those black and brown people who succumb to historical trauma face further complications with the treatment of their trauma because they continue “to live among and with the perpetrators of their trauma, the United States Governments and its people” (Cash, 2016, p. 330). Historical trauma is a learned behavior that is handed down from one generation to the next but is not necessarily experienced firsthand, i.e. the Holocaust, slavery in the United States, Trail of Tears, etc.  Historical trauma does lead to PTSD in around 14% of victims who have historical traumas; these are traumas that must be treated in a fashion that is different from other traumas.  Historical trauma and PTSD, the treatments for them, how to treat those who fall victim to historical trauma, and a biblical view of historical trauma must be addressed in truth and love.

Different does not mean inferior! Currently, in the United States, there is a civil war that is being fought by what some define as an at-risk community:  those that are black or brown-skinned. Because these people – who many do not know their cultural heritage – are choosing to claim historical trauma as a valid reason for their fight it is necessary to look at why they claim that and what led to such a claim.

The United States is estimated to have 331,002,651 people; 60.4% of those are white, 13.4% are black, with the remaining 26.2% being other races (“U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: the United States,” n.d.).  The United States covers three point five million square miles, with a majority of the perceived white-skinned Americans living in states that are not on the oceanic borders.  The history of the United States can trace its origins to 1587 when the first colony was established by the Kingdom of England.  Those part of the original colonies came to the new land to escape religious persecution.

“Many consider a significant starting point to slavery in America to be 1619, when the privateer The White Lion brought 20 African slaves ashore in the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia. The crew had seized the Africans from the Portuguese slave ship Sao Jao Bautista” (History.com Editors, 2009). It is projected that during the 18th century those six to seven million slaves were imported to the American colonies from Africa. The idea of slavery does not start in the United States colonies, rather most slave traders were Africans who captured and sold men, women, and children from rival tribes to the Spanish, Portuguese, French and British (Sieff, 2018). Please note that when slavery first began in the colonies people of color could earn their freedom as Anthony Johnson (the first Black slave owner) did and in turn owned slaves until his death.  But let this narration go further and show that slavery can trace its roots back long before the American colonies were even a dream…remember the Hebrew people were enslaved to the Egyptians. This narration is offered as an explanation of what many are considering current black and brown-skinned American citizens to be suffering from historical trauma and PTSD brought on by a systemic brand of slavery and discrimination.

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Historical Trauma

“Historical trauma is cumulative and collective.  The impact of this type of trauma manifests itself, emotionally and psychologically, in members of different cultural groups” (“How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses,” n.d.).  Those who suffer from historical trauma may suffer from anxiety, depression, and PTSD as both direct survivors and the progeny of the event.  This has been widely studied and for the longest period with survivors and the children from the Holocaust.  According to Yael Danieli, PhD, co-founder, and director of the Group Project for Holocaust Survivors and Their Children in New York, there are four types of adaptive styles that have been observed of those who are victims both directly and indirectly of historical trauma to include the:

people who have difficulty moving on from the original trauma and are emotionally volatile and overprotective, and “numb,” those who are emotionally detached, intolerant of weakness in others and who maintain a “conspiracy of silence” within the family (DeAngelis, 2019).

Of the two described above, it can be suggested that those who utilize the excuse of slavery and the effects it has on those who came to this land as slaves over two hundred years ago are those who seem themselves as victims.  The generation that is claiming historical trauma is nearly eighty years removed from the death of the last slave from Africa; in fact, the grandchildren of the last slave (Matilda McCrear) to be brought to America are in their late 80s and 90s.  Her great-great-grandchildren speak not of a historical trauma rather pride and “create some personal pressure to persevere” (Diouf, 2020). This story of the McCrears/Crears as the author points out is a story of “tragedy and loss; of migrations, forced and voluntary; of strong family ties, determination and achievement” (2020).  It is also a story that can represent the many African Americans who have overcome and not allowed a trauma to dictate their successes.

In the book Trauma and Human Rights: Integrating Approaches to Address Human Suffering the author shows that historical trauma is not just transmitted through “parental behaviors affected by PTSD and related symptomatology” but also because of ongoing structural violence (Butler et al., 2019, p. 17).  For those who feel they are suffering from historical trauma, there is a way to look at it and understand the issues that have faced Native Americans, Holocaust survivors, African Americans, the poverty-stricken, and yes even victims of terrorism:  it is called historical unresolved grief.  This is a philosophical unresolved sorrow stemming from collective destructive injuries, aggravated by injunctions and intrusion in traditions and observances.

In Native Americans and African Americans, it can be seen that this historical trauma for those who do not seek treatment has distinct effects on the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system.  Because of this those who experience historical trauma are more likely to have psychological distress, poor physical health, and higher suicide rates.  Much of this is brought on because of internalized oppression (Panasiewicz, 2020, pp. 16-18). It can even be suggested that those who are not directly victims of the historical trauma are suffering from secondary trauma.  In Holocaust Literature of the Second Generation the phrase “intergenerational transmission of trauma” is utilized to describe historical trauma.  The author uses it as a way of explaining that cultures who suffer from historical culture due so as a means of cultural identity – descendants of the trauma are symbolic memorial candles that are expected to continue to carry on the hurt of their parents and grandparents rather than break free (Vaul-Grimwood & Le, 2007, pp. 7-10).

 Biblical Worldview

My brother who is black, brown, white, yellow, or red is no different from me.  “God created human beings in his image.  In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” Genesis 1.27 (NLT). The Bible was used as a tool for many to justify slavery and other acts of discrimination for many years, but as scholars of the Bible came forward it can be seen that God never intended those in slavery to be treated ill.  In fact, throughout Exodus God lays out how slaves are to be treated: food is to be shared with them, if a slave marries a son she is to be a daughter, slaves are not to be beaten unless the owner faces punishment himself…  The issue comes though that we are all a slave to something…”For you are a slave to whatever controls you” 2 Peter 2.19b (NLT).  I would postulate that if we are allowing historical trauma to control us we are a slave to it.  The Bible regularly uses the idea of slavery and being bound by hackles as imagery for all people to understand how sin harnesses the flesh.  But just as the imagery of the slave is used so are verses like that found in Micah 6 where the Israelites use sacrifices and other religious rituals to appease Jehovah and Micah reminds the children of God that he wants them to have truly changed lives that reflect fairness, justice, mercy, and humility. “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6.8 (NLT).

“The term trauma, meaning “wound,” comes from Greek antiquity. The range of meanings attested at the time includes being severely hurt, physical wounds, wounding, (military) defeat, and psychic wounds. Over the centuries, studies of trauma have been part of various disciplines: mental health fields, literature, and the arts as well as religion” (Guerrero, 2015).

Our wounds and how we treat one another can be traced back to original sin.  When Adam and Even were removed from the garden because of their sin God said that while he forgave them, their disobedience led to a broken fellowship with Abba.  This broken relationship can be seen throughout Genesis and throughout history as a result of this original sin.  But oh how good Yahweh is…in Isaiah, we see even before Jesus walked the earth that he would be “pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.  He was beaten so we could be whole.  He was whipped so we could be healed” 53.5 (NLT).  Our wounds can be healed, and the generational sins and wounds passed down can be removed and healed as well.  I am reminded as a Christian that no matter how bad I have been wounded, no matter how bad others may treat me that God has “plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a hope and a future” Jeremiah 29.11 (NLT).

Tomorrow as I walk amongst my brothers and sisters of different cultures, I will remember they are made in God’s image and I will love them no matter the hurt they carry. I will also not hate them because of their struggles and I will offer them the love of the Lord and understanding.  I will also not be ashamed of who I am and where I have come from no matter what others may say.

References

Barlow, J. N. (2018). Restoring optimal Black mental health and reversing intergenerational trauma in an era of Black Lives Matter. Biography, 41(4), 895-908. https://doi.org/10.1353/bio.2018.0084

Butler, L. D., Critelli, F. M., & Carello, J. (Eds.). (2019). Trauma and human rights: Integrating approaches to address human suffering. Springer.

Cash, A. (2016). Wiley concise guides to mental health: Posttraumatic stress disorder. John Wiley & Sons.

DeAngelis, T. (2019, February). The legacy of trauma. https://www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/02/legacy-trauma

Diouf, S. A. (2020, March 27). The last slave ship survivor and her descendants identified. http://www.nationalgeographics.com. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/03/last-slave-ship-survivor-descendants-identified/

Friedman, M. J. (2015). Posttraumatic and acute stress disorders. Springer.

Guerrero, C. (2015, October 14). Encountering trauma in the Bible. America: The Jesuit Review. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2015/10/14/encountering-trauma-bible

History.com Editors. (2009, November 12). Slavery in America. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slavery

Holder, M. R. (2015, August 13). Exploring the Potential Relationship between Historical Trauma and Intimate Partner Violence among Indigenous Women. Give the Gift of Education | American Indian College Fund. https://collegefund.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Holder_Melissa_2015-Exploring-the-Potential-Relationship-Between-Historical-Trauma-and-Intimate-Partner-Violence-amoung-Indigenous-Women.pdf

How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses. (n.d.). Abbotsford Local Immigration Partnership | ALIP. https://www.abbotsfordlip.ca/files/File/resources/Historical%20Trauma%20Fact%20Sheet%20for%20APD%20Victim%20Services%202014.pdf

Mock, B. (2019, August 6). What New Research Says About Race and Police Shootings. Retrieved June 4, 2020, from https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/08/police-officer-shootings-gun-violence-racial-bias-crime-data/595528/

Panasiewicz, M. (2020). Historical trauma and it’s effects. Tribal Law & Policy Institute.

Sieff, K. (2018, January 29). An African country reckons with its history of selling slaves. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/an-african-country-reckons-with-its-history-of-selling-slaves/2018/01/29/5234f5aa-ff9a-11e7-86b9-8908743c79dd_story.html

Trauma. (n.d.). Administration for Children and Families. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit/trauma-concept

Tyndale. (2007). Genesis. In NLT study Bible (2nd ed.). Tyndale House Publishers.

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: United States. (n.d.). Census Bureau QuickFacts. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219

Vaul-Grimwood, M., & Le, G. (2007). Introduction: Holocaust writing of the second generation. In Holocaust literature of the second generation (pp. 1-30). Macmillan.

What is PTSD? (2020). http://www.psychiatry.org. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd

Wilkins, E. J., Whiting, J. B., Watson, M. F., Russon, J. M., & Moncrief, A. M. (2012, October 27). Residual effects of slavery: What clinicians need to know. Springer. https://10.1007/s10591-012-9219-1

Williams-Washington, K. N., & Mills, C. P. (2018). African American historical trauma: Creating an inclusive measure. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 46(2), 246-263. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmcd.2018.46.issue-2

 

air force rotc

Let me start by saying I love the Air Force and being part of the AFROTC team. Let me also say this is my opinion only and not that necessarily of the Air Force or AFROTC as a collective. 

Every year students in the AFROTC program between their sophomore and junior year of college, with the exception of a select few travel to Maxwell AFB in Alabama for what is called field training. This is thousands of students. 

Each branch of the military that has ROTC does a similar summer program….Army, Navy, Marine Corp, Coast Guard and Air Force. All branches except the Air Force have cancelled their summer programs due to COVID19 this year. 

Students who are in ROTC, at least in the Air Force are not members yet of the Air Force thus are not treated the same. Some who are on scholarship are contracted as part of the individual ready reserves but again they are not held to the UCMJ either. 

This year the Air Force ROTC has decided to do a reduced field training but still have one. These students who attend will still fly from all over the world to participate in this program. The issue I have is there will be no quarantine of the helpers arriving now, the cost to bring the helpers has now increased because at the last minute they decided to make them arrive five days ahead of schedule (plane tickets were bought before this newest decision), and there is no plan in place for the future of students who may contract COVID19. 

Let’s break this down to my ultimate question…you are asking civilians who want to join the Air Force to go to another state where the mayor of the closest town has said there is no room in their hospitals, potentially be exposed and contract this virus. You then want them to be away from family, where if the virus gets ugly will not be near their sons and daughters to potentially say goodbye if they die. And to top it off after they get well you want to send them back where they may not now be allowed to join the Air Force because who knows if they can now pass a pulmonary function test because their lungs could have been damaged. And who knows what long term pulmonary issues they may have – who is gonna pay for that? Yep you guessed it right, they are up a creek without a paddle because the Air Force isn’t going to pay for it.

The Air Force will let their active duty members who may contract the disease to remain in the service and will for the rest of their lives pay for any care related to COVID19.  On top of that to protect those active duty members they are going to let them work from home if that is possible, but not the future generation of students who are to commission.  The comment made by a higher up when asked what the Air Force’s plan to take care of these cadets if they get sick was they would just have to suck it up.

Well I am sick and tired of hearing that our cadets can have the benefits and train in the military but they cannot be treated with the care of our active duty members should they be released from ROTC because of the Air Force’s misstep

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May 25, 2020…Memorial Day

Memorial Day is an American holiday observed the last Monday of May each year that honors the men and women who have died while serving in the United States military.  This year that day will fall on 25 May 2020.  Memorial Day did not become an official holiday until 1971.  Prior to that it was observed as Decoration Day following the Civil War.

Memorial Day is celebrated with bar-b-cues and other such events, but for those who know the true meaning it is honoring those soldiers by decorating graves, and holding remembrances in the cemeteries to let them know the are gone but not forgotten.

Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, including World War II, The Vietnam War, The Korean War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While many think this is a time to thank all veterans, it is not.  Memorial Day is only for those who served and lost their lives while serving.  Veteran’s Day is the opportunity for thanks to our veterans and those serving whether living or passed on.

With the tradition of Memorial comes many visuals that are part of that day to include flags along streets, poppies worn by those visiting cemeteries.  The history of the poppy being part of Memorial Day dates back to World War I.  The original poem by John McCrae who served overseas during WWI speaks to the poppies that grew over the graves of the fallen.  In 1918 Moina Michael wrote We Shall Keep the Faith as a continuation of In Flanders Fields thus bringing to life the idea of remembering those with the red poppy.

“In Flanders Fields”

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

“We Shall Keep the Faith”

by Moina Michael, November 1918

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We’ll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.

This Memorial Day, and the last one for our family we will bring the United States flag in Prexy’s Pasture at the University of Wyoming down to half-staff at sunrise and raise it back to full staff at noon in honor of our men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for this country.

I invite you to take a moment on Monday and through the weekend to remember the men and women who make it possible for you to have the freedoms you do today.

Wyoming

Wyoming is the tenth largest state by area in the United States, but it is the least populous as well.  This amazing state is in the Rocky Mountain region and is bordered by Montana, Utah, Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado.  With a population of 578,759 it is less populated than 31 of the most populous cities to include Denver Colorado that is just two hours south of the border.

Cheyenne Wyoming is the capital with a population of 63,957, but was not the planned original capital as shown by the county two designation on their license plates.  The original capital was to be Casper Wyoming which sits as close to the center of the state as you can get.  Casper Wyoming’s population is 57,461 which is now the second largest city in Wyoming. There are twenty-three counties in the state, and everyone of them is either on the high plains or the mountains that grace the entire state.

History

The original inhabitants of Wyoming were the Crow, Arapaho, Lakota, and Shoshone.  It was during the Mexican-American war that the state of Wyoming was gained as a teritory in 1848.  Today the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho remain in Wyoming on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

Economy

Mineral extraction and tourism is the driving factors for the economy of Wyoming.  The minerals that lend themselves to the riches Wyoming has been blessed to enjoy is coal, oil, natural gas and trona.  While mineral extraction has found its way into Wyoming great history, agriculture is where Wyoming finds its pride.  Look around as you drive down any road and see cows, sheep, hay and grain.  Because of the greater temperature extremes, dryness, and a windy region that exceeds anywhere else in the country life in this state was hard in the beginning and continues to be today for many who make Wyoming their home.

Fun fact:  Wyoming wanted to be admitted to the union, but the only way that the federal government would allow them to be granted statehood was if they had enough people.  To obtain the numbers needed to get there they granted women the right to vote as a territory, and would immediately given the right of state. Thus, Wyoming was made a state in 1890 when they were the first state to grant women the right to vote.

Metro

Cheyenne, Casper, Gillette, and Rock Springs are all he metropolitan areas of the state where shopping and jobs are found.  For those who live in Cheyenne it is not unusual for them to travel forty-five minutes south to Fort Collins and Loveland Colorado to enjoy even greater choices of shopping and restaurants.

Land

Fun fact:  Almost half of the land in Wyoming is owned by the U.S. government, leading Wyoming to rank sixth by area and fifth by proportion of a state’s land owned by the federal government.

Those who call Wyoming their home take pride in that so much of the state is sparse in population and spread out.

National parks

• Grand Teton National Park
• Yellowstone National Park—first designated national park in the world^[26]

Memorial parkway

• The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway connects Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

National recreation areas

• Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
• Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area (managed by the Forest Service as part of Ashley National Forest)

National monuments

• Devils Tower National Monument—first national monument in the U.S.^[26]
• Fossil Butte National Monument

National historic trails, landmarks and sites

• California National Historic Trail
• Fort Laramie National Historic Site
• Independence Rock National Historic Landmark
• Medicine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark
• Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Wyoming
• Oregon National Historic Trail
• Pony Express National Historic Trail

National fish hatcheries

• Jackson National Fish Hatchery
• Saratoga National Fish Hatchery

National wildlife refuges

• National Elk Refuge
• Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge

• Yellowstone National Park

• 

  Devils Tower National Monument

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Castle_Geyser_(3678669019).jpg

  Thunder Basin National Grassland

• 

  Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge

Panoramic view of the Teton Range looking west from Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park

Government

Since the late 1950s Wyoming has been a primarily conservative-Republican state.  Even the democratic governors voted it understand that Wyoming is conservative and they would need to be one of the cowboys.

The state of Wyoming government is comprised of the same three branch system as the federal government:  executive, legislative and judicial.  The house of representatives of Wyoming have 60 members and the senate 30 members.

The executive branch is headed by the governor and includes a secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and superintendent of public instruction. Wyoming does not have a lieutenant governor. Instead the secretary of state stands first in the line of succession.

Because of the state of Wyoming’s status as the least populous state it only has one U.S. House of Representative seat, and two like all other states two senatorial seats.

Wyoming’s highest court is the Supreme Court of Wyoming, with five justices presiding over appeals from the state’s lower courts. Wyoming is unusual in that it does not have an intermediate appellate court, like most states. This is largely attributable to the state’s population and correspondingly lower caseload. Appeals from the state district courts go directly to the Wyoming Supreme Court. Wyoming also has state circuit courts (formerly county courts), of limited jurisdiction, which handle certain types of cases, such as civil claims with lower dollar amounts, misdemeanor criminal offenses, and felony arraignments. Circuit court judges also commonly hear small claims cases as well.

Before 1972, Wyoming judges were selected by popular vote on a nonpartisan ballot. This earlier system was criticized by the state bar who called for the adoption of the Missouri Plan, a system designed to balance judiciary independence with judiciary accountability. In 1972, an amendment to Article5 of the Wyoming Constitution, which incorporated a modified version of the plan, was adopted by the voters. Since the adoption of the amendment, all state court judges in Wyoming are nominated by the Judicial Nominating Commission and appointed by the Governor. They are then subject to a retention vote by the electorate one year after appointment.

Religion

43% of those who live in Wyoming are protestant, with 26% having no religion at all.  14% are catholic, 9% are mormon and the remaining 8% are a variety.

Education

The state of Wyoming only has one University.  The University of Wyoming calls Laramie Wyoming its home.  While it has seen a vast number of presidents over the years, it still boasts one of the best engineering and legal programs. Additionally there are seven community colleges spread across the state.

Transportation

The state of Wyoming is criss-crossed by I80, I90, and I25; I80 and I25 intersect in Cheyenne Wyoming, and I90 and I25 intersect in Buffalo Wyoming.  Along with interstates, there are thirteen U.S. highways that pass through the state, miles and miles of rail and several larger airports.

Fun fact: State Symbols

State flower of Wyoming: Indian paintbrush

 

State bird: western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)

State coin: Sacagawea dollar

State dinosaur: Triceratops

State emblem: Bucking Horse and Rider

State fish: cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki)

State flag: Flag of the State of Wyoming

State fossil: Knightia

State gemstone: Wyoming nephrite jade

State grass: western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii)

State insect: Sheridan’s green hairstreak butterfly (Callophrys sheridanii)

State mammal: American bison (Bison bison)

State nicknames: Equality State; Cowboy State; Big Wyoming

State reptile: horned lizard (Phrynosoma douglassi brevirostre)

State seal: Great Seal of the State of Wyoming

State song: “Wyoming” by Charles E. Winter & George E. Knapp

State sport: rodeo

State tree: plains cottonwood (Populus sargentii)

Top Ten Summer Adventures in Wyoming

1. Check out all the National Parks and Monuments that Wyoming has to offer.  The most visited are Devil’s Tower, Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone National Park.
2. Go horseback riding and see parts of the country from the saddle that remind many of what the first persons to Wyoming saw.
3. If you prefer the power of 50 horses over just one, then Wyoming’s ATV and off-roading adventures are more your speed. Play in the country’s biggest sandbox at Killpecker Sand Dunes or witness the brilliant red cliffs of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area right from your ATV.
4. Try one of the many camping sites that Wyoming has to offer.  Wake up to the crisp, clean air, go for a hike or try your hand at fishing and go to sleep under the stars.
5. Check out all the areas you can go hiking – some of the best trails with sites that feature land and animals that should only be seen with the naked eye and camera.  Trails that are perfect for the beginner to the advanced.
6. Do you like to fish?  Wyoming has some of the best fishing streams, rivers, and lakes with over 22 species of game fish.
7. Wyoming is the proud host to the largest outdoor rodeo – Cheyenne Frontier Days, the College National Finals Rodeo and many other house rodeos where you can feel the way it was done when ranchers first homesteaded in Wyoming.
8. Would you like to experience what the homesteaders did…then check out some of the finest dude and guest ranches the nation has to offer.
9. Festivals – cities all along Wyoming like to celebrate their history to include Frontier Days, Jubilee Days, etc.
10. The natives used to brag about the healing properties of Wyoming’s hot springs.

It’s time for a summer soak in the hot springs of Wyoming. From 90-degree pools with slides and diving boards to 112-degree steamy soaks, there are options for families and couples at all of the state’s hot springs. Enjoy the cleanest air in the country, combined with natural minerals and therapeutic hot springs. It’s the perfect combo for a relaxing summer vacation.

Wyoming welcomes you to visit our fine state and see what we love.  We just ask that whatever you pack in, your pack it out and leave it as pristine as when you found it, if not better.

A Warning to America

This is not an original blog post by me.  I am sharing this as a means of educating those who may read it. To see the original post please go to:  https://www-beliefnet-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.beliefnet.com/columnists/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars/2011/04/she-survived-hitler-and-wants-to-warn-america.html/amp?usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D&fbclid=IwAR1z2IgeDqSnFCZBlcWcYn71OCyGSCq6VKqQ1DqzuN8kYguwI19WKeWXyl8&amp_js_v=0.1#aoh=15825683674781&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beliefnet.com%2Fcolumnists%2Fon_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars%2F2011%2F04%2Fshe-survived-hitler-and-wants-to-warn-america.html

 

She survived Hitler and wants to warn America

9 years ago

Kitty Werthmann

Kitty Werthmann survived Hitler.

“What I am about to tell you is something you’ve probably never heard or read in history books,” she likes to tell audiences.

“I am a witness to history.

“I cannot tell you that Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history.

Adolph Hitler

“We voted him in.”

If you remember the plot of the Sound of Music, the Von Trapp family escaped over the Alps rather than submit to the Nazis. Kitty wasn’t so lucky. Her family chose to stay in her native Austria. She was 10 years old, but bright and aware. And she was watching.

“We elected him by a landslide – 98 percent of the vote,” she recalls.

She wasn’t old enough to vote in 1938 – approaching her 11th birthday. But she remembers.

“Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in with his tanks and took Austria by force.”

No so.

“In 1938, Austria was in deep Depression. Nearly one-third of our workforce was unemployed. We had 25 percent inflation and 25 percent bank loan interest rates.

Farmers and business people were declaring bankruptcy daily. Young people were going from house to house begging for food. Not that they didn’t want to work; there simply weren’t any jobs.

“My mother was a Christian woman and believed in helping people in need. Every day we cooked a big kettle of soup and baked bread to feed those poor, hungry people – about 30 daily.’

“We looked to our neighbor on the north, Germany, where Hitler had been in power since 1933.” she recalls. “We had been told that they didn’t have unemployment or crime, and they had a high standard of living.

Austrian girls welcome Hitler

“Nothing was ever said about persecution of any group – Jewish or otherwise. We were led to believe that everyone in Germany was happy. We wanted the same way of life in Austria. We were promised that a vote for Hitler would mean the end of unemployment and help for the family. Hitler also said that businesses would be assisted, and farmers would get their farms back.

“Ninety-eight percent of the population voted to annex Austria to Germany and have Hitler for our ruler.

“We were overjoyed,” remembers Kitty, “and for three days we danced in the streets and had candlelight parades. The new government opened up big field kitchens and everyone was fed.

Austrians saluting

“After the election, German officials were appointed, and like a miracle, we suddenly had law and order. Three or four weeks later, everyone was employed. The government made sure that a lot of work was created through the Public Work Service.

“Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home. An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn’t support his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they could retain the jobs they previously had been required to give up for marriage.

“Then we lost religious education for kids

Poster promoting “Hitler Youth”

“Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school.. The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler’s picture hanging next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told the class we wouldn’t pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang ‘Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles,’ and had physical education.

“Sunday became National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. Parents were not pleased about the sudden change in curriculum. They were told that if they did not send us, they would receive a stiff letter of warning the first time. The second time they would be fined the equivalent of $300, and the third time they would be subject to jail.”

And then things got worse.

“The first two hours consisted of political indoctrination. The rest of the day we had sports. As time went along, we loved it. Oh, we had so much fun and got our sports equipment free.

“We would go home and gleefully tell our parents about the wonderful time we had.

“My mother was very unhappy,” remembers Kitty. “When the next term started, she took me out of public school and put me in a convent. I told her she couldn’t do that and she told me that someday when I grew up, I would be grateful. There was a very good curriculum, but hardly any fun – no sports, and no political indoctrination.

“I hated it at first but felt I could tolerate it. Every once in a while, on holidays, I went home. I would go back to my old friends and ask what was going on and what they were doing.

A pro-Hitler rally

“Their loose lifestyle was very alarming to me. They lived without religion. By that time, unwed mothers were glorified for having a baby for Hitler.

“It seemed strange to me that our society changed so suddenly. As time went along, I realized what a great deed my mother did so that I wasn’t exposed to that kind of humanistic philosophy.

“Then food rationing began

“In 1939, the war started and a food bank was established. All food was rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn’t work, you didn’t get a ration card, and if you didn’t have a card, you starved to death.

“Women who stayed home to raise their families didn’t have any marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men.

“Soon after this, the draft was implemented.

Young Austrians

“It was compulsory for young people, male and female, to give one year to the labor corps,” remembers Kitty. “During the day, the girls worked on the farms, and at night they returned to their barracks for military training just like the boys.

“They were trained to be anti-aircraft gunners and participated in the signal corps. After the labor corps, they were not discharged but were used in the front lines.

“When I go back to Austria to visit my family and friends, most of these women are emotional cripples because they just were not equipped to handle the horrors of combat.

“Three months before I turned 18, I was severely injured in an air raid attack. I nearly had a leg amputated, so I was spared having to go into the labor corps and into military service.

“When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government immediately established child care centers.

“You could take your children ages four weeks old to school age and leave them there around-the-clock, seven days a week, under the total care of the government.

“The state raised a whole generation of children. There were no motherly women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we had been had.

“Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors trained at the University of Vienna..

“After Hitler, health care was socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government. The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors for everything.

“When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40 people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were full.

“If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and emigrated to other countries.

“As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80 percent of our income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the government to establish a household. We had big programs for families.

“All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.

“We had another agency designed to monitor business. My brother-in-law owned a restaurant that had square tables.

“ Government officials told him he had to replace them with round tables because people might bump themselves on the corners. Then they said he had to have additional bathroom facilities. It was just a small dairy business with a snack bar. He couldn’t meet all the demands.

“Soon, he went out of business. If the government owned the large businesses and not many small ones existed, it could be in control.

“We had consumer protection, too

Austrian kids loyal to Hitler

“We were told how to shop and what to buy. Free enterprise was essentially abolished. We had a planning agency specially designed for farmers. The agents would go to the farms, count the live-stock, and then tell the farmers what to produce, and how to produce it.

“In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps. The villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated.

“So people intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all useful and did good manual work.

“I knew one, named Vincent, very well. He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw Vincent and others getting into a van.

“I asked my superior where they were going. She said to an institution where the State Health Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they could not visit for 6 months.

“They were told visits would interfere with the program and might cause homesickness.

“As time passed, letters started to dribble back saying these people died a natural, merciful death. The villagers were not fooled. We suspected what was happening. Those people left in excellent physical health and all died within 6 months. We called this euthanasia.

“Then they took our guns

“Next came gun registration. People were getting injured by guns. Hitler said that the real way to catch criminals (we still had a few) was by matching serial numbers on guns. Most citizens were law abiding and dutifully marched to the police station to register their firearms. Not long afterwards, the police said that it was best for everyone to turn in their guns. The authorities already knew who had them, so it was futile not to comply voluntarily.

Kitty Werthmann

“No more freedom of speech. Anyone who said something against the government was taken away. We knew many people who were arrested, not only Jews, but also priests and ministers who spoke up.

“Totalitarianism didn’t come quickly, it took 5 years from 1938 until 1943, to realize full dictatorship in Austria. Had it happened overnight, my countrymen would have fought to the last breath. Instead, we had creeping gradualism. Now, our only weapons were broom handles. The whole idea sounds almost unbelievable that the state, little by little eroded our freedom.”

“This is my eye-witness account.

“It’s true. Those of us who sailed past the Statue of Liberty came to a country of unbelievable freedom and opportunity.

“America is truly is the greatest country in the world.

“Don’t let freedom slip away.

“After America, there is no place to go.”

Its My First Amendment Right

This is a rant post…so heads up!

As many of you know I am the AFROTC-UW liaison, and one of my many duties is recruiting.  On Friday I had a student who came in to talk about her options of joining AFROTC.  Normally these visits have mom or/and dad and the student.  This time it was mom, dad, and her older sister.  Prior to going into this conference in one of the staff offices for our students I was alerted that the father had his phone and it was set up to record the session – thank you Faithe. This issue was so discombobulating that I wrote a post for my interpersonal communication class.

I find as I post about this issue how relevant it was to my own life just today.  I recruit for the Air Force ROTC program and thus I meet a lot of people from all over the nation interested in attending the University of Wyoming and seeking a commissioning through our program.  Today was no different as I met with a young woman from Colorado who was considering her options with both the Air Force and the Army.  As we proceeded to go to one of our conference rooms as she had brought her dad, mom and sister I was alerted to the fact that her father was going to record this recruiting session.  Incidental recording at our university is acceptable as long as there is not an expectation of privacy which is clearly defined in our policies.  Where this family was in the building there is an expectation of privacy and I explained that to the father, that he would not be allowed to record the event.  I was attempting to be mindful of the conversation as I entered into dialogue with this family about the young lady’s choices. Dialogue clearly will not always be easy or fun, and at times can be abrasive.  Today was no exception to that rule.  As her father began to throw terms like First Amendment Rights, and failure to defend the Constitution in my face I offered him the opportunity to hear what I was going to teach his daughter or he could exit the facility and wait till I was done.  I could clearly see the distress in his wife, and daughter’s faces as he put the camera away and sat stone cold with a look of disgust. 

This is where empathy came into play for me…as France and Weikel have explained empathy is the ability to understand another person and communicate that understanding to them (2014, 56).  I needed to be able to turn the direction of this recruiting session and put the daughters and mother at ease even if I could not the father.  The skills I would need to show empathy to this young woman would be focusing on her with my posture, making eye contact with her, and moving responsively both in action and word.  I was able to turn my body entirely away from the hostility in the room to make direct eye contact with the only person in the room that at that time mattered to me – the student.  I used my hands to direct her to the different things that could occur in her ROTC career, and as she asked questions I used not verbal cues to make sure she understand I was hearing her and then reflected on the questions by rewording them to answer her . 

Additionally, in order to bring genuineness to the conversation I also had to bring warmth.  I began doing this by acknowledging to the student that this is a big decision and as an adult now it would be her decision and that I respected her ability to do so.  I also, explained while I respected her need to have her parent’s consultation in the decision that ultimately, I would look to her as the human being that would be responsible for her own choices.  When you are warm you convey that you care (France and Weikel 2014, 58).  One of the issues that is addressed is what happens when either you don’t like who you are working with or they don’t like you.  Clearly during issues like the one I dealt with one must remain entirely professional and not allow the other person’s attitude to create the tone.  I did not have the choice to have a colleague do my job today, as I was the sole personnel in the detachment. 

The third interpersonal skill that must be utilized when communicating with others, whether they be clients, colleagues, or family is genuineness.  Genuineness is honesty, it is keeping your word, it is doing what one says they will do, it is committing to an action and following through.  My word is my bond…In Genesis 30.33 it says my honesty will testify for me in the future (NLV).    In Proverbs 11.3 God speaks to His people through Solomon when he states, “Honesty guides good people” (NLT).  Verse after verse speaks to the importance of honesty in all that is done in the lives we live. 

References

France, Kenneth, and Kim Weikel. 2014. Helping skills for human service workers: Building relatioships and encouraging productive change, third edition. Springfield IL: Charles C Thomas, Publisher LTD.

Stewart, Jon. 2012. Bridges Not Walls: A book about interpersonal communication. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

I think the thing that frustrated me the most about this is that I am one of the most patriotic people you will meet.  I bleed blue for the Air Force, and red-white-blue for this country.  I have been educated on our Constitution in such a way that I know when someone is telling me what is and isn’t their constitutional right.  Just as his right to free speech is there, mine is also there to be protected.  I am fortunate that the University has rules for this too and I am protected.  While incidental filming is allowed on campus there are certain areas that are protected:

• Non-public areas: University facilities not generally open to the public, including but not limited to: classrooms; laboratories; research areas; gymnasium; physical education or intercollegiate athletic exercise areas; child day care areas; faculty, administrative staff, or student offices; conference rooms; seminar rooms; lounges; storage areas; parking facilities; or other similar areas restricted to specified University faculty, staff or students.

The areas I took this family is not generally an area for the public, but is utilized as a student office. And in order to record in that area or even in my office permission must be gain from the University and that can take up to thirty days to receive.

 

Thankful November

I do my best every November to show gratitude in a different way each day.  I will be the first to say I have failed more than once at this, and this year is no exception.  So this is going to be a conglomerate of the past nine days, and the future six days all rolled into one.

November 1, 2019 – There is a song that Garth Brooks sang and published called Unanswered Prayers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GuA5PZx3K4).  This song came out in the mid 1990s and has always been a real reminder to me to not mourn dreams that have gone by unfulfilled.  There have been many dreams and prayers I have had that have gone unanswered and when I hear this song I am reminded that God has a plan and many times it is not mine.

November 2, 2019 – We are very blessed with our Tuhla (puppy-dog) and our three kitties:  Spaz, Gizmo, and Doodies.  Yes there are days they annoy the crap out of me, but there are days that I wouldn’t make it through the day, let alone week, without them.  As I sit here typing this Spaz is asleep in my chair, Gizmo is in the rocking chair, and Tuhla is in her giant bed dreaming, but surrounding me in love that only an animal can give.

November 3, 2019 – Family…no matter what I do there will never be a perfect relationship with one side or the other.  But no matter who is or isn’t talking to us I know that they are there and we love them despite all the positives and negatives.  I have to say I have been particularly blessed with an amazing mom who has checked up on me regularly to make sure I haven’t gone off the deep end, and to make sure Tim is doing ok with al all our current health scares.  Family relationships are never easy, and the phases we go through with each of them can try me to my very core, but again no matter what I will always love them.

November 4, 2019 – Friends…Tim and I are very blessed with some very amazing friends.  With my employment at the University we have come to know some folks that have blessed our life and no matter if they continue in our life for a few minutes or a lifetime it is a relationship God has given us that I will cherish forever.  As I work more and more with the military I am reminded that friends will come and go from our lives; God may place them for just the season we need or for all the seasons.

November 5, 2019 – The past two years have been more than a little trying with health.  While I believe my FMS remains in remission and I feel better than I have in many years, there are still aches and pains that surface.  I am thankful for people like Sabrina Manness who have introduced me and educated me to essential oils.  Because of these amazing little bottles of liquid gold I have been able to come off of all pharmaceuticals other than my inhaler or eye drops and live an opioid free life.  I honestly do believe that if it was not for the essential oils and eating right I would not be able to work the long hours I do for AFROTC.  Time has aged both Tim and I, and while there have been scares in the recent past for Tim I am so thankful he is healthy and can continue to work and lea a productive life.

November 6, 2019 – This kind of piggybacks on my health.  I have been very fortunate to have a mentor in Sabrina who can teach me how to use my oils, what to watch for, and lead me in showing others the benefits of Doterra Essential Oils.

November 7, 2019 – Support groups are essential for any person whether they want to admit it or not.  My support group comes from my family!  My mom will send me a text or a FB message just to encourage me.  My daughters may reach out just to say hi!  And my husband is amazing as he texts me every afternoon when he wakes and is the last person I speak to at night.

November 8, 2019 – Parents…if you have a chance read my post about empty nesters.  This is not a phase of life that is for the faint of heart.  Moving from the identity of the mom who wears many hats, to taking care of one’s self and doing what a parent wants is vastly different.  I have now been in this stage of life for five years and I will say after the initial grief and getting past figuring out what I want it is rather rewarding.  My parents are past this stage and in what is referred to as the last stage as they are entering retirement.  I am thankful for my parents…for giving me life, and for letting me experience different things that have made me who I am today.  Because of the experiences I have had with my parents I do believe that it has made me a better mother during this stage of my life.

November 9, 2019 – What an absolutely amazing and beautiful month it has been.  We have seen the leaves change with magnificent bursts of color, snow enter Wyoming with a blast of artic cold, and the last few days remind us of an autumn harvest as temperatures rose high enough to play a game of football outside.  I love Wyoming and all the seasons that I can see in the course of days and even minutes.

November 10, 2019 – I live in a country where you can speak freely, where you can worship freely, and where Congress can fail to make any new strides because they are scared of a POTUS who turns the apple cart on its proverbial side.  I am thankful I live in this country and I am thankful for he people who defend it now and in the future.  I am thankful for a president that does not belong to the good ol’ boy system, and for the opportunity to vote out senators and congressman who fail to do their job.

November 11, 2019 – I work for the local university where anyone has a right to attend.  I am thankful for the privilege and right to obtain an education whether in kindergarten or like myself pursuing a graduate program.  More than that, though as I look upon what this day is for I am thankful for the veterans past, present and future who have given me the right to be able to go to school.

November 12, 2019 – I mentioned before that I am thankful for the use of Doterra Essential Oils and the good that they have done for me and my children when facing issues like colds, fibromyalgia, migraines, and more medical problems that I am going to mention here.  But I am also thankful for the doctors who have gained the education needed to treat specialized issues that need the touch of someone who knows about cancer, the eyes, etc.  I am also thankful for health insurance and that it pays for the visits we have to make; and that while I may not have agreed with much of President Obama’s platform that his healthcare objectives made it possible for my daughters to remain on my insurance no matter their educational or marital status.

November 13, 2019 – I love FOOD!  I love that tonight I am going to enjoy prime rib, mashed potatoes and vegetables next to my husband.  I love that my food is safe to eat, and that while I may not always make healthy choices there are choices I can make.  I am thankful that I will not go hungry.

November 14, 2019 – I am thankful that seven years ago when life pushed me down that I have been able to get back up and be successful, and follow dreams I never realized I had.  I am thankful that when I have fallen I have learned from the experience and pushed on and persevered and made a better situation for the future.

November 15, 2019 – I am thankful for the enemies I have, and the opportunities to grow from the punches they may throw my way.  I am thankful that God is my protector and that no matter the type of enemy he will guide my words, my actions, and my thoughts.

Alright it is your turn to do your first fifteen days of thankfulness.  Watch at the end of the month for what comes next.

November 11, 2019

If you are an American you should know what this date is for!

If you are a military member or family you better know what this date is for!

100 years ago today President Wilson recognized the importance of remembering those veterans who served their country in the great war – also known as WWI.  It was originally known as Armistice Day and celebrated around the world and was set aside to remember those who served in WWI only.  President Wilson wrote the following:

ADDRESS TO FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN

The White House, November 11, 1919.

A year ago today our enemies laid down their arms in accordance with an armistice which rendered them impotent to renew hostilities, and gave to the world an assured opportunity to reconstruct its shattered order and to work out in peace a new and juster set of international relations. The soldiers and people of the European Allies had fought and endured for more than four years to uphold the barrier of civilization against the aggressions of armed force. We ourselves had been in the conflict something more than a year and a half.

With splendid forgetfulness of mere personal concerns, we remodeled our industries, concentrated our financial resources, increased our agricultural output, and assembled a great army, so that at the last our power was a decisive factor in the victory. We were able to bring the vast resources, material and moral, of a great and free people to the assistance of our associates in Europe who had suffered and sacrificed without limit in the cause for which we fought.

Out of this victory there arose new possibilities of political freedom and economic concert. The war showed us the strength of great nations acting together for high purposes, and the victory of arms foretells the enduring conquests which can be made in peace when nations act justly and in furtherance of the common interests of men.

To us in America the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service, and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of nations.

WOODROW WILSON

It was not until 1938 that November 11th was set aside each year as a national holiday.  In 1945 WWII veteran Raymond Weeks expressed the idea that November 11th should be expanded to remember all veterans.  In 1954 Congress signed into law a bill that recognized November 11th as Veterans Day (no longer Armistice Day) in which all veterans who served the United States and were discharged in an honorable fashion were be commemorated.

At the University of Wyoming the names of all the veterans who have served during our

current conflicts are being read.  These veterans are people who have served their country with honor and integrity.

Many in my family and friends too have served this country and I wish to thank them all for the service they have given:  Glen Jones, Daniel Miller, Paul Miller, Danny Miller, Jay Hershberger, Benny Solomon, David Miller, Paul Miller Sr, Brian Brown, Greg Green, Kyle Reece Miller, James Miller, Cliff Hill, Brian Miller, Marty Jones, Geoff Green, Liam Dell, and many more I am sure I am forgetting already.

Today I read the names of 50 airman, soldiers, seaman, marines, and guardsman!  It was humbling to read these names aloud and remember people I will never know, but who cared enough to serve and protect this nation.

 

Political Partisanship and the Court

“I can’t imagine what this place would be — I can’t imagine what the country would be — with Donald Trump as our president,” she said. “For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be — I don’t even want to contemplate that” (Liptak, 2016).

A judge whether elected or appointed to a court in the United States of America is expected to deduce the law, evaluate evidence offered to them, regulate hearings and trials, and most importantly make “impartial decisions in the pursuit of justice” (Canadian Superior Courts Judges Association, 2006). The Canadian Superior Courts Judges Association clearly defines what a judge whether here in the United States, or abroad should do in their roll.  The key item that they emphasized was to make impartial decisions.  All persons whether judges, or plumbers are going to have personal opinions in regards to political matters, but judges when they are acting in a professional manner must display political neutrality.  Ethically, if a judge is to remain impartial that means that they must refrain from addressing political matters, and it is reasonable for the public to expect that professionals elected or appointed into these positions can maintain a professionalism that allows for them to have their own personal opinions but to refrain from publicizing them publically or in their positions as judges.

Ethical Standards

Ethically judges are held to a higher standard.  Any decision that they make must promote respect for their position and the decision they make.  Of the many canons that a judge must adhere to one of the most important addresses impartiality and bias.  Under Canon 3 of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges it states, “Judges are to perform their duties without bias or prejudice and are not to exhibit bias or prejudice, including that based on race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status” (Code of Conduct for United States Judges, 2014, p. 147). The Canons go onto to stipulate that judges who are serving in their professional role are to truthful to the law, must not be persuaded by partisan interests, communal demand, or fear of condemnation, be patient, dignified and courteous to all they deal with (Code of Conduct for United States Judges, 2014, p. 148). The Supreme Court has to go so far as to rule that judges are not politicians and that their authority is only as good as their integrity.  In short this means that judges divorce themselves from any political or social background they may have when acting as a judge.

The Supreme Court and Political Matters

Obviously since the Supreme Court has ruled that they are not politicians, for them to rule on political matters would seem like a conflict of interest.  With that said, there are always going to be cases that come before that court that require addressing political matters…i.e. abortion.  Abortion while a very personal subject for many has also turned into a political matter that pits democrats against republicans regularly.  When the Supreme Court ruled on this matter in 1973 the issues before them made it a little less of a political arena, but as time would progress this would be a hot button topic in politics and used as a pawn to help voters decide who was the best candidate; thus as new laws and ways to circumvent the 1973 ruling appeared political interests would try and sway the court to a more conservative and republican friendly, or vice-a-versa. One way that justices or judges are to create a boundary between themselves and patrician politics is to refrain activities where financial or business dealings may be exploited by those who wish to call in a favor, or use their position to seek favor in a court. Judges may participate in activities where “public testimonies or gifts, ordinary social hospitality, scholarships and fellowships, and loans are provided” as long as they are not from attorneys that may appear in their court or politicians who could seek favor from the court (Banks, 2017, p. 150).

Abstaining from Political Discourse and Still Being True to Self

In Innovations and Ethics by Greenstein he stipulates that “a judge shall act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, and shall avoid impropriety or the appearance of it” (Greenstein, 2015, pg. 1).  Part of doing this means developing the ability to listen, understand and having awareness of skills that will enhance the public’s confidence in their integrity (Greenstein, 2015, pg. 2).  This is done by practicing impartiality, and being above reproach.  But judges are people, just like everyone, and while they must thing before they ever speak or act it is not likely something that will happen 100% of the time.  Additionally, under Canon 5 of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges it specifically says that a judge should refrain from political activity.  It specifies that a judge should not:

• Act as a leader or hold office for political organizations.
• Make speeches for political parties or candidates or to endorse or oppose candidates (clearly Justice Ginsburg violated this canon when she spoke out against President Trump when he was running for office).
• Attend or pay money for tickets for events that sponsor or endorse a candidate for political office.

Political elections quickly become hot topics and cause many people to show the worst of themselves, and it is obvious that the 2016 campaign caused those who might not otherwise speak out for or against a politician do just that.  Justice Ginsberg is an example of the heatedness of politics.

Many do not believe that the Supreme Court can be political neutral, but that is exactly what the founding fathers of this nation wanted.  While the justices are appointed by the President of the United States who holds a specific political office, the appointment must be approved by the Senate and then if approved it is a life time appointment with no cut in pay.  This is done so that a justice can “make decisions without fear of reciprocity” (Trueman, 2015, pgs. 1-2). While the constitution provides for a political neutral court many professors and commentators on the Supreme Court admit that there will always be personal values that drive decisions made.  Richard Posner, a judge on the 7^th circuit court of appeals says, “the rancor from both sides of the aisle is proof that the Supreme Court is a thoroughly ideological institution…that the Supreme Court is not an ordinary court but a political court, or more precisely a politicized court, which is to say a court strongly influenced in making its decisions by the political beliefs of the judges” (Mazie, n.d., pg. 1).

Conclusion

This year the Supreme Court of the United States will decide if a business is allowed to serve who they want to serve!  They will decide if a cake maker can choose not to use his/her gift to support homosexual marriage based upon his religious beliefs!  This is a very politically motivated case where someone will win and someone will lose…on top of losing many rights guaranteed by the Constitution will be trampled upon. The question will be whether the Justices will make a decision regarding this case upon the ethical standards they must uphold as according to the Code of Conduct of the United States Judges. Judges, both appointed and elected are not political figures, and as such they must adhere to an ethical standard that protects their integrity and the integrity of the court against partisan politics and the perception of supporting such.

 

 

 

References

Banks, C. (2017). Criminal Justice Ethics: theory and practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Canadian Superior Courts Judges Association. (2006). The Role of Judges. Retrieved from Canadian Superior Courts Judges Association: http://www.cscja-acjcs.ca/role_of_judge-en.asp?l=5

Code of Conduct for United States Judges. (2014, March 20). Retrieved from United States Journals: http://www.uscourts.gov/judges-judgeships/code-conduct-united-states-judges#f

Greenstein, M. N. (2015). Innovations and Ethics. Judges’ Journal, 40.

Liptak, A. (2016, July 10). Ruth Bader Ginsburg, No Fan of Donald Trum, Critiques Latest Term. Retrieved from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/11/us/politics/ruth-bader-ginsburg-no-fan-of-donald-trump-critiques-latest-term.html

Mazie, S. (n.d.). Proof the Supreme Court isn’t all about politics and ideology. Retrieved from Big think: http://bigthink.com/praxis/proof-the-supreme-court-isnt-all-about-politics-and-ideology

Trueman, C. N. (2015, March 27). Can the Supreme Court be neutral? Retrieved from The History Learning Site: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/american-politics/can-the-supreme-court-be-neutral/

 

 

 

Gun Control

“One of the things I think we have to look at is the concept of opportunity cost in some of this, the idea that if you are devoting your resources to micromanaging honest citizens who happen to want to buy guns, you’re not spending your criminal justice resources going after professional criminals…is this the best use of our criminal justice resources, or should we be spending our resources on professional criminals who are repeat violent offenders, who use guns and who are the ones who drive up the homicide rate” (Holt, 2013, p. 28).

Law abiding citizens, who are protected by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, when faced with the idea of far reaching gun control laws that are enacted under the premise of protecting the public from criminals who will use those same guns to commit crime must decide what side of the fence wish to be on.  The Second Amendment stipulates that citizens have the right to bear arms, and thus cannot be coerced by law or other means to give up their protection through false ideas of less crimes by falsifying political ideas or that imply by stricter gun laws they are protect from criminals who will abide by said laws.  Gun control laws face three hurdles:  the Second Amendment, laws that do not protect law abiding citizens from future crime, and criminals who will use whatever means is necessary to obtain firearms for their crime.

The Second Amendment of the Constitutions says, “a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” (Cornell Law School, n.d.). It was understood that through this amendment private citizens have a right to own and use weapons as a means of protecting themselves.  While the beginning of the 20th century would suggest different as the Supreme Court of the United States suggested that the Second Amendment was solely for the purpose of supplying the militia, i.e. the National Guard of each state with firearms to use to protect the country that was changed in 2008.  In 2008 the current Justices viewed the Second Amendment in an entirely different light in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller when they stated, “the Second Amendment established an individual right for U.S. citizens to possess firearms and struck down the D.C. handgun ban as violative of that right” (Cornell Law School, 2012, pg. 3).   While the court of 2008 agreed that certain weapons cannot be used by citizens for law abiding purposes that specifically outlawed that any local, state, or federal ban on firearms that could be used for legal purposes could not be ban.  The Supreme Court of the United States continued to strengthen their opinion in a 2010 decision in the case of McDonald v. City of Chicago where they agreed that the ban by the City of Chicago was also in violation of the Second Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment.  “The vast majority of gun owners in America are law abiding citizens who hunt, target shoot, or choose to protect and defend their home and family in a lawful manner” (Grand Canyon University, 2010, pg. 3).  These Americans have a strong argument, supplied by the Supreme Court of the United States as to why it is their right to own guns.

           There is roughly 200 million guns or one gun for every adult in the United States (Worrall, 2014, p. 154). There have been many attempts both in the United States and in other countries like Great Britain, Australia, and Ireland to ban all firearms to citizens.  While many would say success has been found in countries outside the United States at curbing violence by banning all firearms to citizens, then places like Great Britain are a total failure at defining success.  In 2001 a study from Kings College London S. Centre for Defense Studies found that hand-gun related crime increased by nearly 40% in the 2 years following Great Britain’s ban (Kopel, 2015, p. 16). The Supreme Court of the United States states that the government has an obligation to not restrict Americans right to the Second Amendment but to allow those citizens to defend themselves, families, and property.  This cannot be done if the political rhetoric is pushing gun bans on society (Solutions 2016, 2018, pg. 3). Solutions 2016 shows that:

• Armed citizens are less likely to be injured by an attacker, and the number of defensive gun uses may be as high as 2.1 million to 2.5 million times per year.
• While gun ownership doubled in the 21^st century, Americans are safer today from violent crime, including gun homicides, than they have ever been before.
• In localities where right to carry laws have been enacted, communities have see a decline in murder rates and instances of other crimes (Solutions 2016, 2018).

Theoretically speaking if the United States managed to have guns banned from all citizens, does that mean that criminals will no longer have access to guns and thus violent crimes will be dramatically reduced? No!  A deranged person is not going to let a law stop them from committing a crime with or without a gun.  Gun opponents will use the idea of mass shootings as a reason that gun control laws must be enacted in order to protect church people, children at school, movie patrons, etc.; but what these opponents fail to point out is that a criminal who is going to commit a mass shooting planned out weeks and even months in advance how and with what they would murder innocents.  The shooter in Nevada planned for a year and even began buying legally guns for his rampage.  The Sandy Hook shooter used guns purchased by a family member to commit his crimes.  Gun control laws do not stop criminals from obtaining weapons to commit their crimes.  President Obama stated, “Once again, innocent people were killed in part because someone who wanted to inflict harm had no trouble getting their hands on a gun” (Kopel, 2015, p. 2).  While it was the President’s intention to use a mass shooting as a way of showing gun control laws were needed, in fact it showed that a person who is intent on inflicting harm will do whatever is necessary to obtain a firearm.  In 2004 Attorney General Janet Reno through a report on the 1994 federal ban on assault weapons stated, “we cannot clearly credit the ban with any of the nation’s recent drop in gun violence…should it be renewed, the ban’s effects on gun violence are likely to be small at best and perhaps too small for reliable measurement” (Kopel, 2015).  Criminals are not getting guns through legal means.  One of the most common ways that criminals will obtain guns is through straw purchases.  Many think that criminals get guns through theft, but in reality, only 10 to 15% of guns used in crimes were obtained through theft (Noyes, 2014, pgs. 1-2).  Many of the ways criminals will obtain firearms is through their society of friends and colleagues.  They will not obtain guns through a method that can put them in the spotlight of the government.

“Firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens enhance public safety…the attempted massacre at New Life Church in Colorado Springs was stopped by a private citizen with a gun; the massacre of South Carolina’s Emanuel AME wasn’t.  The mass murder at Pearl High School was topped by a private citizen with a gun; the mass murder at Newtown’s elementary school wasn’t stopped until the police arrived.  The shootings at Appalachian Law School ended when private citizens subdued the gunman; the shootings at Virginia Tech continued until the police arrived” (Kopel, 2015).

The Second Amendment is not a piece of history that was meant for a bunch of black powder rifles in order to protect against the British, rather the founders of this nation intended it to keep tyranny from rearing its ugly head whether against another nation or crime.  The use of the Second Amendment allows law-abiding citizens to protect themselves, their family, and property from criminals who will obtain guns no matter what the law.  Laws are there to keep the honest man honest, not the criminal who will obtain a weapon no matter what.

References

Cornell Law School. (2012). Second Amendment. Retrieved from Cornell Law School: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/second_amendment

Cornell Law School. (n.d.). 2nd Amendment. Retrieved from Cornell Law School: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/second_amendment

Grand Canyon University. (2010). Legislation and Crime Control. Phoenix: Grand Canyon University.

Holt, M. (2013, April 22). Do Strict Gun Laws Really Stop Gun Crime? Retrieved from the Blaze: https://www.theblaze.com/news/2013/04/22/do-strict-gun-laws-really-stop-gun-crime

Kopel, D. B. (2015, December 01). The Costs and Consequences of Gun Control. Retrieved from CATO Institute: https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/costs-consequences-gun-control

Noyes, D. (2014). How Criminals Get Guns. Retrieved from WyomingPBS: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/guns/procon/guns.html

Solutions 2016. (2018). Protecting Second Amendment Rights. Retrieved from Solutions 2016: http://solutions.heritage.org/constitutionalism/protecting-second-amendment-rights/#

Worrall, J. L. (2014). Crime Control in America What Works: Third Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.