‘Springfield — The Illinois Capitol building is currently on lockdown.  No one is allowed in or out of the building after an unknown substance was reportedly thrown at the Governor’s office.’

‘Governor Rauner wasn’t at the Capitol building when the incident happened.’

‘A woman was put into handcuffs by Capitol Police and escorted from the building.’

‘Today’s House Session is currently delayed because not all members were in the chamber before the lockdown went into place,’ according to WSIL Channel 3 ABC.

Our beloved Country is becoming increasingly polarized along extreme political ideology.

Some would have Illinois continue without a state Budget until one side of the political aisle or the other…cry uncle…and acquiesce to the agenda of the victor.

In a similar fashion our Federal Government seems dominated by the extreme of a ‘Pro Wrestling Match’ where the winner obliterates the looser…to the blood curdling cheers of the audience.

Recently the Republican Baseball Team was fired upon by a sick individual in the name of political ideology.  Republican Representative Steve Scalise is back in intensive care ,due to his being shot in the hip during the horrible incident.

Republican members of the Senate are not only not enthused by the Health Care Plan, that a few of their members created, with the support of their leadership, but several of them know that the provisions of the Bill will hurt their constituents.

The ‘do or die…hell bent for leather’ promise to replace Obamacare, which needs serious reforms, is apparently the rationale for replacing it with a Bill that is not even as effective as the Obama creation that they promised to replace.

Is winning the only rationale to political discourse?

What about the people that elected the Representatives and the Senators to their lofty offices?

For the past two years our Illinois Government has stood on their extreme political principles and let the people be damned.

As the fight of the Titans has transpired…the fate of the peasants has seemed to be of little consequence.

Perhaps there is a middle ground…where the needy can be succored…as the scripture admonishes us?

Perhaps there is a middle ground where our children are assured an education and including a higher education…to prepare for our increasingly technological future?

Perhaps there is a courageous and thoughtful and principled and sure ground of voting for the true betterment of the poor and the struggling and the hard working middle class…that sent our elected representatives to office to address our real needs?

‘After more than two years without a budget – and the state’s credit rating poised to topple into junk territory – Illinois lawmakers finally are about to approve a $36 billion spending plan over the objections of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.’

‘A dramatic showdown ended with a series of votes cast on Independence Day.  Fifteen Republican members of the Illinois House broke away from the governor to pass a budget.’

‘One more vote remains – the Illinois House is poised to follow the Illinois Senate and override Rauner’s veto – perhaps on Thursday – setting the stage for Democrats and Republicans to squabble over who prevailed in the fight that made Illinois a national laughingstock,’ according to DNA info.

State Representative Terri Bryant broke with her party to vote for the passage of the House Budget.  I greatly admire the courage of her convictions and her vote…that recognized the profound needs of her district…and the crisis that is knocking at the door of her University, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Representative Bryant will absolutely have my vote in the next election!

We can debate, ad nauseum, who is at fault for the dire fiscal condition that The Land of Lincoln finds itself in.  There is more than enough blame for both political parties.

There is much room for debate and a profound need for political reforms.

However, when the price of that debate is the possible closing of our precious Universities and the shuttering of Grade Schools and High Schools and the evaporation of our support for the mentally ill and the homeless…then the price is to high!

Calmer heads must prevail.  Statesmen and Stateswomen must come to the front!

Terri Bryant is a Stateswoman…and a breath of fresh air!

Once again the celebration of our American Independence has returned.

We will cook out today at Aaron’s house.  He is such a wonderful grill master!

The joy of getting together with family and friends on this commemorative day is a great privilege and honor.  To live in a country that you can say what is on your heart and speak your mind and believe in the freedom of the press…is a special gift.

Countless men and women have fought and died for our gift of freedom.  The freedom to immigrate to a Country that is commonly referred to as a ‘Melting Pot.’  We virtually all came from somewhere else.  The only indigenous Americans are the Native Americans.  The rest of us arrived for a variety of reasons.

I watched, Ken Burns, documentary regarding the Stature of Liberty, the other night. This Great Lady…and the hope that she symbolizes has been and is a beacon that shines in the darkness of fear and repression and ignorance and hate.

When you enjoy a wonderful dinner in China Town…in New York City…you are in America.

When you listen to, one of my favorite musical genres, jazz…that is as America.

When you worship in a Mosque you are praying alongside your fellow Americans.

When you stand alongside your Jewish friends and neighbors…wearing their kippahs and reading the Torah…you are standing with your fellow Americans.

When you stand in solidarity with the forgotten Americans…the poor…the hungry…the homeless….the sick…you are standing with the America that we celebrate today.

No one can take our American Experiment from us…we can only do that to ourselves!

Over this past weekend we were privileged to have my brother, Brock and my sister-in-law, Marcy, and my niece, Jamie, who is a lovely and sweet young lady.

When I refer to Marcy as my sister-in-law…I must say that she seems like my sister.  She is one of the most considerate and caring people that I have met and her love for her husband and children is inspirational.

Marcy, reminds me so much of my wife, Mary Jane, and indeed she and Mary Jane became good friends instantaneously!

The two Brooks’ Family’s did not meet until this past August…and really not our entire families until last April…but they have become a great gift to us with their love and camaraderie!

We missed our nephew, Jeb, very much, on this visit.  He is such a kind and distinguished gentleman.

Mary Jane had a birthday cake for Brock.  He just turned 41.  I will soon be 60!  We represent the beginning and the end of our father’s legacy.

This was Dad’s birthday. He was 57. Taken in Tennessee

Brock and Marcy fascinate me.  I have observed how their children love them both so naturally and securely.  Marcy and Brock are dedicated to their kids and their happiness.

When Brock is talking I see Marcy watching him with love and respect.

Marcy is a strong woman.  I was raised by a strong woman.  I married a strong woman.  There is nothing more valuable than the love of a strong and caring and compassionate woman to stand by your side through out the storms of life.

Brock is such a hard working and talented individual.  I really think that he is capable of accomplishing anything that he desires.

This couple…this family…is an inspiration to me…on how to take the storms that life brings and still sail their ship through to calm seas and a sunny dawn!

Just this past Friday I received good news regarding some medical concerns that I have been worried about almost since the beginning of the year.  This weekend…with my family…has been a blessing to me…and a reaffirmation of just how sweet this life is…and how we must release the negative and embrace the positive of this precious gift!

‘Appropriate behavior, good manners,’ is what Thesaurus.com says is the definition of decorum.

Synonyms for decorum are: ‘breeding, civility, conduct, convenance, convention, correctitude, correctness, courtliness, decency, demeanor, deportment, dignity, etiquette, form, formality gentility, good grace, gravity, habits, order, orderliness, politeness, politesse, properness, propriety, protocol, punctilio, respectability, seemliness, tact,’ Thesaurus.com proceeds to inform the reader.

Indeed, there is a coarsening of our society that is endemic.

I was associated with University Life since 1978 and still am privileged to be, somewhat, until the present.  When I began at University, it would have been unthinkable to here a student address their professor by anything but their title and last name.  Care would have been taken to show the proper respect for the dignity of the professorship and the elegant surroundings of University.

Although, now, and for several years it is not unusual to hear slang and curse words used in conversation both inside and outside the hallowed halls of academia.  A professor friend of mine said that she often had to instruct her’ students that were speaking to her to not use profanity in their verbal comments to her.

I, as we all do, shop and do business on often a daily basis.  Without fail I, according to my childhood training, say thank you to the person checking me out or the employee waiting on me in a department or grocery establishment.  The response that I almost universally receive is, ‘no problem.’

‘I heard poorly rated @ Morning Joe speaks badly of me (don’t watch anymore).  Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came…to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year’s Eve, and insisted on joining me.  She was bleeding badly from a face-lift.  I said no!,’ President Trump tweeted.

Misogyny – ‘dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudiced against women.’

Misogyny – ‘is the hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women or girls.  Misogyny can be manifested in numerous ways, including social exclusion, sex discrimination, hostility, androcentrism patriarchy, male privilege, belittling of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification,’ according to Wikipedia.

Often, I greet people that I meet with a hello or similar greeting.  It is amazing to me the number of those who I have greeted that only respond with a serious stare or glare.

Decorum and manners and interpersonal communication with other members of the human family…matter.  Respect and reverence for others dignity and rights and our shared humanity…matter.

When we say…well that is what Joe and Mika deserve for critical reporting of the President…we ignore a basic construct that has held our society together since it’s foundation.  Our President is the Leader of the Free World.  We look to him for guidance and counsel on how to act in difficult situations.  We expect him to take the high road…as a leader should.

Think about this…for a moment…if it is alright now for the President to say whatever he wants to about a fellow United States citizens that he disagrees with…then it is alright for him to disparage your wife…your daughter…your mother…your granddaughter…your sister?

You see, this type of callous inconsiderate…bullying behavior is spreading across our land.  A young man, in high school, recently committed suicide…due to his classmates bullying him.

It is one thing to disagree…it is another to be disagreeable…it is yet another to be a bully.

‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely,’ according to British politician Lord Acton.

When I first retired at the end of 2010, I wondered how difficult it would be to fill my  new found days of freedom from the daily grind of work.  Work was all that I had known from the age of 17 when I moved out of my parents home the day after I graduated High School.

We set out to travel…and have visited several wonderful locales.  It is something that I love doing, and in fact we have a trip planned to New Mexico next month.

Two things have emerged as primary retirement pleasures of mine…and perhaps three things.

I truly love nature and SIU Campus walks…and photographing those adventures.  By this one enjoyable enterprise I am able to combine three exciting vocations!

First the Campus of Southern Illinois University…is my home away from home.  I spent thirty-two enjoyable years, of my life, traversing it’s abundant beauty…both inside and outside of it’s classical, distinguished, buildings.  This is enjoyable exercise!

Second, I love photography…and my daily walks reveal to me a constantly changing tapestry of color, and plants, clouds, and wildlife…that I never tire of.

Third, I am able to stay engaged with my Alma Mater and even exchange the occasional, enjoyable, email with both the Chancellor and the President of our great University.

I also, have since a child, enjoyed writing.  For most of my life I felt that I was to busy to engage in this passion…but now I have the time.

I am writing a Post for this Blog almost every other day…and sometimes daily.  This is a fulfillment of a life long dream of mine…and it is keenly satisfying.  I have received mostly positive input and have nearly 800 followers.  I am humbled that anyone takes the time to read my scribblings.

So, I would say that life is what you make of it.  Or as the Talmud states, ‘We don’t see things as they are; we see things as we are.’

I have been blessed to travel to Europe on numerous occasions as well as many lovely locations in the United States…however…beauty and contentment and happiness and the ever elusive Peace…comes from within our own hearts.

A little over a week ago, a very nice person asked if she could include one of my Blog Posts on a Writers Website that she manages.  I told her that I would be honored for her to do so.  The Piece was written on June 14 and was titled, ‘A Tragedy with a Possible Promise of Hope,’ and it was regarding the shooting, at the ball field in Virginia, that Republican Congressmen, and others, were practicing at in preparation for their annual Charity Congressional Ballgame with the Democrats.

I cited in my Post that perhaps this senseless act of violence might bring our political leaders together.  I noted the Speech that Speaker Ryan gave after the horrific event, as well as the dinner that the manager of the Democrat Team had invited the Republican Team to attend.

I was excited when I received an email notification that someone had commented on  the Post, or what I would call a fairly straightforward hope that our politicians might work together…at least a little.

The first comment was, ‘The issue I see is that within 2 weeks this will be forgotten and Washington D.C. will be back to its dysfunctional normal.  We are a dying empire.’

Another comment said, ‘The Speaker said, an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.’  ‘NOT REALLY YOU FORGOT THAT “US” ARE MURDERED EVERY DAY.’

Another commenter stated, ‘Bradley Brooks implores: sincere desire to understand and empathize with the person that you are listening to, point of view. – Oh, so now I’M SUPOSE to believe others have a right to woman’s body and a right to impose someone else’ morality, think LGBQ should be killed, and “those people” in inner cities left to starve, sicken and die as a matter of empathy or ‘understanding?’  Huh?’

I responded to the above person with, “It is clear to me that, words, can be taken totally out of context.  I am neither a Republican nor a Trump supporter.  I do however believe that the tremendous animosity and anger that is expressed from both political parties…is caustic and corrosive.  That does not mean a compromise of our principles of human and moral decency and advocacy for the many needy among us, or for individual right of freedom to live as we choose.  However, certainly, the cavalier shooting of those we disagree with is a journey into a hopeless abyss…that is being illustrated weekly, and at times daily, by the horrendous acts of terrorism around our Globe…in the name of one group being ‘right’ and the other being ‘targets of hate’.”

I did not include the commenter who said that, there was a vast liberal conspiracy to kill Republicans or the response to this, by another person, labeling the first person a fascist.

My experience with the comments above has illustrated to me how difficult it is to communicate with others in our society, that has become increasingly divided and housed in “Silos” of our own creation.

President Lincoln was a Republican.

President Eisenhower was a Republican.

Indeed our Political Party elected leaders have gravitated to the extreme of their membership.

All Republicans are not far right.

All Democrats are not far left.

The majority of both Political Parties are somewhere in the middle.

The Herculean Task of communication with others that are different than us or that have different views than us…is hard work!

Benjamin Franklin said, ‘We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.’

Everything seemed fine…until the flower store. I had entered it on

numerous occasions and been waited upon expeditiously. The store was a

ten foot by ten foot room, that was filled with lovely live flower

arrangements and commemorative statues and Grave Plaques that had

beautiful life sentiments inscribed on them.

There were two people ahead of me and they were engaged in serious conversation regarding their upcoming wedding. I not only was enjoying their conversation with the shop proprietor but also the ambiance of the little, locally owned, emporium.
As I read the various inscriptions on the Commemorative Graveside Markers and enjoyed the pleasant aroma of the fleshly cut flowers…I speculated on what it must feel like to die?

You know, I am not a maudlin person…but I have observed that everyone seems to ‘pass away’ as we like to say.

Perhaps, there is no appreciable change in atmosphere or location or perception when the great and dreaded event of our life…finally happens?
More people entered the store..I made eye contact with the owner while he waited on the original wedding decoration customers…and now he proceeded to wait on the people that had entered after me. Could it be that I had ‘passed away’…and no one had told me?
Was I invisible?

How many people, in our world,…feel just the way that I did in that little flower store.

People that are in front of our politicians and power brokers and movers and shakers eyes…and yet are not seen or considered or their needs met?
Earlier, a terrible tragedy occurred in north London, where a man drove his white van into a crowd of Muslim people as they exited a Mosque after evening prayers. This individual has caused the death of one man and injury of ten people. The driver is said to have been heard screaming, ‘I am going to kill all Muslims.’
A devastating fire occurred in London, last week, at the Grenfell Tower. Seventy nine Tower Occupants are presumed dead. The towering inferno was built in the 1970’s and never fitted with a sprinkler system.

In the United States our President proposes slashing Medicaid and the Meals on Wheels Program…both which serve the poor of our land.
We were in Cape Girardeau, Missouri this past Saturday for an early Father’s Day Dinner. As we browsed through the many Antique Shops near the river…I observed a man enter more than one of the stores, that we were in, to inquire if the owner was interested in buying a used tricycle for $3.00. All answered no.

As Jonathon and I were taking some items, that we had purchased, back to our car, a man asked us if we could give him a quarter…and then apologized for asking…saying that he and his wife were so poor that they had been brought to virtually begging.

‘For I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw thee naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer unto them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.’ Matthew 25: 42 – 45 KJV

My friend, Ritu, describes perfectly our United Plea for Peace and a stop to the madness.