I am always flabbergasted that so many folks believe that our country is perfect. Almost always, these folks are WrongWingers- and the fact of the matter is that they only know the myths- but not the facts about the USA.

This is not a new phenomenon. (I will not be going back BEFORE my lifetime, since there are more than enough choices just during this period.) Like the chants that Nixon supporters (now there’s a concept for you!) “America…Love it or Leave It.” As opposed to what our founders expected us to do- make it better by our actions.

Which is akin to the brilliant supporters of TheDonald. Their chants are more like “lock her up”, “lock him up”, or “immigrants are criminals”. The amazing thing is they miss the irony in that the folks that need to be locked up are Elaine Chow (not divesting stock as attested to Congress, the firm does business with her department), Scott Pruitt (the ex-head of the EPA, for a variety of illegal acts), Ivanka Trump (labor abuses among others), or TheDonald himself. (Or, the fact that immigrants are known to be involved in far less crime than those who possess citizenship papers.)

Let’s get real. America was founded on the principle that Blacks were only considered to be 3/5 of a citizen. Women- not at all. DC residents- sorry, the concepts of ‘one person, one vote’ or ‘no taxation without representation’ simply do not apply.

Which is why it’s important to note that it was just a century ago today that Congress approved the joint resolution, allowing a vote on the 19th Amendment.  That constitutional amendment, which needed the approval of the individual voters in each of  the states, was to afford women the right to vote- finally.

And, like would be true some 45 years in the future, during the great Civil Rights for Blacks legislative debates, it was the Southern Democrats that served as the major impediment to recognizing and correcting the flaws in our republic. (It turns out- at least according to their claims- that they were worried that the 19th Amendment would grant Black women the same right to vote as White women. Hence, their opposition. Yeah, I have a few bridges for sale – at great prices- should you buy that tripe.)

But, this day also marks another major event. One we in America don’t often note.

Tiananmen Square. Where China arrested and kills countless protestors again the Mao Zhe Dung philosophy and Communist rule. This despite the fact that the protests weren’t just in Beijing- but across some 400 cities in China. Which is why some 300,000 troops were marshaled by the Chinese despots against the demonstrators.

If you weren’t alive back in 1989 when this happened to understand this situation, consider this. Recall the Arab Spring demonstrations that have petered out. And, multiply that by 1000. That’s what the Tiananmen Square revolution entailed.

You won’t find the day marked anywhere in China- because those that do would find themselves arrested. With the exception of muted responses in Hong Kong. Back when I first visited, Hong Kong was a colony of the British Empire. Since then, it has fallen under the control of the Chinese, which removed the few liberties that existed under (limited) British home rule.

Let’s honor those folks who worked hard to make the 4th of June memorable to us all!

(My memories of Tiananmen Square are a bit muted, also.  Because the 1^st Day of Sivan [Rosh Chodesh Sivan] in 1989 was also the 4^th of June.   The day I got married.  Believe it or not- today is also Rosh Chodesh Sivan.  That confluence- when an English date and a Hebrew date repeat- is a rare occurrence. )

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