John Flannery, “LET FREEDOM RING”

I present this as an exercise of what we may have to do if some of wacko governors have their way and limited an High School student's access to information about slavery and discrimination in America.  Or any other topic.

One thing we can do is read the textbooks on Zoom or some similar podcast source, read to the next generation about any topic, and let them figure what to make of the facts, rather than keep them in the dark about the bad, the good and the ugly, by withholding from them what happened in American History.  The text book I used was the one I used in Advance Placement History in High School.  I recommend you get a young-un to listen and see what they think of this abbreviated class, and how they think of it as an alternative or supplemental vehicle of instruction.  And yes I did teach High School a long time ago.  John P. Flannery, II, Esq ([email protected], @jonflan)

We have two times in American History that must be regarded as linked, when MLK was fighting for equal justice and now when we are fighting a Republican party that has lost its way - what can be done - after the Hill, well then it's the ballot box.  John P. Flannery ([email protected], @jonflan)

We are at a critical point, when we either fight for our democracy, or accept the possibility that we may lose our democracy.  The key is to give a reckoning for those responsible, not just the rioters, but their overseers, starting with No. 1, Trump himself.  John P. Flannery, [email protected], @jonflan.

How we talk about the mid-terms may make all the difference to the outcome - so think about the truth and stay close to those princ9ples you had that are the best that can be said of your character and of our nation's promise.  John P. Flannery ([email protected], @jonlfan)/

We are all suffering from too much of our unceasing contact sport, politics.  So how about a few poems from Robert Frost - for a change - John P. Flannery, [email protected], @jonflan

The Republicans used school boards and children as foils for their political strategies in this year's elections.  They were conducted at the expense of good school policy and the dignity and education of our children.  They were brutal and effective.  These devices were the run up to the mid-terms and the presidential election.  Dems have to get in the game and combat this cynical campaign.  This short podcast is an effort to underscore what and why the Republicans did what they did.  John P. Flannery ([email protected], @jonflan)

From January 6th on we knew that we were dealing with an enemy within from the oval office and Trump reaching out in every direction to ignore the electoral defeat of Trump and steal the election from Biden.  Rogue Rudy Giuliani advised Trump, "Just Say We Won."  They set out to do just that and lied and cheated in almost any way possible, so arrogant, they wrote memos on how they were going to take over the government.  I'm taking a verbal walk through the powerpoint to show the fascist design on our democracy and the most recent statement talking about troops to take over the government in 2024 or sooner.  John P. Flannery, [email protected], @jonflan

Our daily dose of dreary political infighting and congressional paralysis might lead us to fail to appreciate that there are "heroes" that dwell among us - but perhaps they are not to be found in politics.  So I decided upon this occasional podcast, ON HEROES, to talk about those shining lights that have traditionally inspired us and that may fairly be considered "heroes" in their way of work.  This episode, our 2nd, takes a look at the arts to consider the contributions of the late Stephen Sondheim, who died recently, and an amazing actor and vocalist, D'Jamin Bartlett, who sang a song Sondheim entrusted to her in the musical, "A Little Night Music."  The song was "The Miller's Son." I think it's true that through her eyes you can underestand Sondheim and what it meant to find your way to Broadway and the Shubert Theater.  Let us know if you enjoyed taking this step away from the steamy seamy side of politics.  John P. Flannery, II ([email protected], @jonflan).

On December 1st, the Supreme Court will hear argument on the Mississippi statute that limits abortions to 16 weeks instead of the 24 weeks set by the pertinent precedent, Roe v. Wade.  I have some comments on how we got to this place and how it is political and not about the law.  John P. Flannery, II, Esq., [email protected], @jonflan.

Our greatest failing as a government is that there has been no reckoning for those who tried to overthrow our government.  Article 14, Section 3 of the US Constitution provides a remedy to oust such officials and/or bar them from office.  It's high time we consider this and other remedies.  John P. Flannery, II, Esq. ([email protected], @jonlfan)