A New Beginning

I have always thought about the beginning of the new year as filled with hope and possibilities. We can put behind us the mistakes of the past year and can start to build a year filled with the hope that we can accomplish whatever we feel will give us more happiness.

I and my friend, Genesis, ( whose name appropriately means birth or beginnings) were talking about how to put some relaxation in our lives to help us cope better with daily responsibilities. The next time I saw her I asked her what she had decided to do and her answer really surprised me. She said that since she was a child, she had always wanted to see a sunrise, and that she and a friend got up at 3:00 AM and did just that. She really looked happy when she showed me pictures of her beautiful sunrise. What I realized then is that what makes each of us happy is very individual and something that only we ourselves can know. I hope this new year all of you will also try to discover whatever it is that you have always wanted to do and plan to make your dream a reality.

A Continuing Political Drama

On December,18th we saw the impeachment of the president. The articles of impeachment will soon be sent to the Senate for trial. The Senate will then decide if President Trump is guilty or innocent, It will be important for all citizens and our country that the Senate trial be fair and impartial. A political trial which doesn't have witnesses who must tell the truth under oath is not a trial at all. This is a sad and historic time for our country which has only impeached a president 3 times in our long history. The process is moving in a logical and eminently fair way to hold the president accountable for his questionable actions against the rule of law. The founders of our republic were very wise when they devised the 3 equal branches of government to rule our democracy. When the executive branch of government takes unreasonable power away from the other branches, then it must be held accountable through the power of impeachment. That is what ultimately will continue to keep our democracy safe from dictatorship.

Cultural Explorations
  Movie—Puncture

A movie that I watched this month reminded me that many corporations do not care about the human beings who buy their products, but are only concerned with the profits that they can show to their investors.

Puncture tells a true story about a flawed and self-destructive lawyer, Michael David Weiss, who in spite of the downward spiral of his life, makes a courageous moral decision to fight, against all odds to take on the medical establishment and and medical manufacturers to force them use a new invention which can save many thousands of lives and which they don't want to use because of the added cost and kickbacks which they currently practice. The story of this difficult fight against impossible odds and the ultimate outcome show what one morally principled man can ultimately achieve to make the world a safer and more just place. The movie is a loving memorial by the family and friends who loved him to a man who ultimately made a difference in all of our lives.

Free e-books by June Stepansky

https://www.free-ebooks.net/search/June+Stepansky 

A Different Voice

Kaleidoscope