Geoff W. Sutton Blog

Have you ever seen something you searched for show up on Facebook? I have. I recognize it right away. It's nothing embarrassing--just annoying to realize you are being tracked. I appreciate Facebook for several reasons most of which have to do with family connections. Aside from my immediate family, most of my family live in England. And my US family live far away. Add to that friends we have made over many decades and it can be pretty addicting to enjoy lots of positive images of people enjoying life or expressing care when tragedy strikes. I get that Facebook is a business. It's only free because some businesses are willing to buy ads--hoping we will buy something or that we may support their cause. I get rid of offensive ads and occasionally look at an interesting product. No problem here. But privacy is important at some level. Who is tracking me when I'm not on Facebook? Fortunately, there is a way to turn off that type of tracking. But the key is a bit hidden so, I to...

BBC linked image Congress works under the protection of heavily armed guards. Images of America under attack have gone round the world. The violence of Jan 6, 2021 coming on top of increasing deaths and hospitalizations linked to Covid-19 offer a horrible context of anxiety for the lawmakers. BBC linked photo The whole transition of power period is worsened by warnings of threats of violence coming to DC and US State Capitols in the next few days. Sometimes fear is worse than reality--but not always. BBC link / Getty Images As Congress discovers that their members are work under death threats and that some of their own colleagues may have helped the rioters gain entry, they have a basis for high levels of anxiety. Add to this anxiety rumors that those who are supposed to protect them may have supported the rioters, the basis for paranoia arises. We need a Congress that is able to work in a safe setting to conduct our business. We will need to do what we can to create a safer community ...

  The Statue of Liberty is truly a welcoming site for many of us immigrant who came to the US by way of New York City. Freedom is indeed precious. Yet my freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness requires responsibility. A nation cannot protect the freedoms of its citizens when citizens use personal freedoms to harm other citizens. Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl once said we need a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast to supplement the Statue of Liberty. Well, I will nominate the Golden Gate Bridge as a symbol of the bridge that joins one to another. “Freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness. That is why I recommend that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast.”      ― Viktor E. Frankl Links to Connections Checkout My Website     www.suttong.com    See my Books    AMAZON    ...

In an overwhelming show of force, the Joint Chiefs of Staff offer Americans reassurance: of their commitment to our constitution their commitment to protecting us their commitment to defend us AGAINST ALL ENEMIES a clear characterization of the violent riot as an assault on the US a line that cannot be crossed when it comes to rights - No violence, sedition and insurrection a reminder of who is the lawful president and Commander in Chief. ********** The escalating rhetoric and concomitant violent threats, plans, and actions that have divided this nation are now under attack from multiple sources against the backdrop of the most powerful military on earth. Their carefully crafted text should be studied. As they wrote, these are "unprecedented events." The date, 1621 (1-06-2021) is a date to remember--not only for what happened but also for seeing the rise of power behind this great nation. Truly the shameful destruction of life and battering of those defending our elected lead...

  People are understandably frustrated when they believe they have the right to express anything they want in the US because of the First Amendment to the Constitution, which protects freedom of speech. I am not an attorney so, check what I am saying with an attorney who understands US constitutional law. What I can do is refer readers to sources to learn more. The US Courts at uscourts.gov offers information on what the courts have ruled. I hope this is helpful when considering what people cannot do. Freedom of speech includes the right: Not to speak (specifically, the right not to salute the flag). West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943). Of students to wear black armbands to school to protest a war (“Students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate.”). Tinker v. Des Moines, 393 U.S. 503 (1969). To use certain offensive words and phrases to convey political messages. Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15 (1971). To contribute money (un...

  The Washington riot of 1-6-2021 has had a disturbingly little impact on provoking people to think about the Union.   As I read through comments on Facebook and Twitter in response to the assault on Capitol Hill it is not surprising to see that the citizens of the union are as distrusting of each other now as they were before the election. The separation of the nation into Republican and Democratic tribes resulted in divisions running as deep as families and marriages or relationships. America is a religious nation and most identify as Christian, but faith did not matter as Christians took sides as they have in civil wars for centuries. President Abraham Lincoln saw this as plainly in 1865 as we see today when he said: "Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God,  and each invokes His aid against the other." This hatred of the other has cut deeply into the union and is constantly fueled by the rhetoric of doubt and contempt. I’ve seen this many times in marria...

“I don’t ever want to lose the legend and lore surrounding these great athletes because they were shunned by baseball,” Kendrick said in a phone interview. “The oral accounts of what these players did is still important to me. You can never tell the true story of the Negro Leagues with numbers. You just won’t.” --Bob Kendrick, President, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum In the WP story ( Jan 5, 2021 ), Kendrick explains his concerns about the plan of the MLB to recognize the Negro Leagues as Major Leagues. Kendrick's concern can help us recognize the dilemma of maintaining an important part of our identity while linking our identity to a new relationship that has the potential to either overshadow our primary identity or enhance our primary identity. These "social mergers" are dynamic. Relationships and associations change identities. Fortunately for Kendrick, he has a museum full of stories to support a distinct identity. We would do well to establish and continue to direct...