Talkin’ White Privilege Blues

[With apologies to Bob Dylan - Talkin’ John Birch Society Blues]

Well I wus feelin’ bad and feelin’ blue

I didn’t know what in the world I wus gonna do

Them White Supremacists they wus comin’ around

They wus in the air

They wus on the ground

They wouldn’t gimme no peace . . .

So I run down most hurriedly

And joined up with the BLM Society

I got me a secret membership card

And started off a-walkin’ down the road

Yee-hoo, I’m a real BLMer now!

Look out you Whities!

Now we all agree with Farrakhan’s views

Although he hates all those Jews

It don’t matter too much that he is a Fascist

At least you can’t say he was a White Suprematist!

That’s to say like if you got a cold you take a shot of malaria

Well, I wus lookin’ everywhere for them gol-darned Rightists

I got up in the mornin’ ’n’ looked under my mattress 

Looked in the sink, behind the door

Looked in the glove compartment of my car

Couldn’t find ’em . . .

I wus lookin’ high an’ low for them Supremacists everywhere

I wus lookin’ in the sink an’ underneath the chair

I looked way up my chimney hole

I even looked deep down inside my toilet bowl

They got away . . .

Well, I wus sittin’ home alone an’ started to sweat

Figured they wus in my T.V. set

Peeked behind the picture frame

Got a shock from my feet, hittin’ right up in the brain

Them supremacists caused it!

I know they did . . . them hard-core ones

Well, I quit my job so I could work all alone

Then I changed my name to Sherlock Holmes

Followed some clues from my detective bag

And discovered they wus white stripes on the American flag!

That ol’ Betsy Ross . . .

Well, I investigated all the books in the library

Ninety percent of ’em gotta be burned away

I investigated all the people that I knowed

Ninety-eight percent of them gotta go

The other two percent are fellow BLMers. . . just like me

Now Eisenhower, he was a racist guy

Lincoln, Jefferson and that Roosevelt guy

To my knowledge there’s just one woman

That’s really a true American: Maxine Waters. 

I know for a fact she hates things white cus she picketed the movie White Christmas

Well, I fin’ly started thinkin’ straight

When I run outa things to investigate

Couldn’t imagine doin’ anything else

So now I’m sittin’ home investigatin’ myself!

Hope I don’t find out anything . . . hmm, great God!

Reparations

The descendants of Union soldiers, the Underground Railroad, abolitionists, and abolitionists' organizations would, of course, be exempt from paying reparations, I would assume.

There are pretty good records of the members of these orgs. They range in membership from a couple to the 1000's. Interestingly, many of these organizations were for only women, only men, only whites, etc.

Abolition Society of the State of Delaware
Abolitionist and Anti-Slavery Lobby, Washington, DC
Abolitionist Party
Albany Convention
Albany Vigilance Committee
Alexandria Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery
American Abolition Society
American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS)
American Anti-Slavery Society of New York
American Baptist Anti-Slavery Society
American Colonization Society (ACS)
American Convention of Abolition Societies
American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (AFASS)
American Free Produce Association
American Freedman’s Inquiry Commission (AFIC)
American Missionary Association (AMA)
American Wesleyan Anti-Slavery Society
Amesbury and Salisbury, Massachusetts, Female Anti-Slavery Society
Anthony Burns Defense Committee
Anti-Man Hunting League (AMHL)
Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women
Anti-Slavery League
Anti-Slavery Sewing Society
Anti-Slavery Societies of Women in Massachusetts
Ashtabula County (Ohio) Female Anti-Slavery Society (FASS)
Association of Friends for Advocating the Cause of the Slave and Improving the Condition of Free People of Color
Baltimore Society for the Protection of Free People of Color
Bangor Female Anti-Slavery Society
Bangor Juvenile Anti-Slavery Society
Baptist Anti-Slavery Society
Benevolent Society of Alexandria for Improving the Condition of People of Color
Berea College
Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society (BFASS)
Boston Mutual Lyceum
Boston Vigilance Committee (BVC)
Boston Young Men’s Anti-Slavery Association
Boylston Female Anti-Slavery Society
Brookline (Connecticut) Female Anti-Slavery Society
Canton (Ohio) Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society
Caroline County Society
Cazenovia Ladies Anti-Slavery Society
Chestertown Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and the Relief of Free Negroes and Others, Unlawfully Held in Bondage
Choptank Society
Christian Anti-Slavery Convention of 1851
Church Anti-Slavery Society, 1859-1864
Cincinnati Anti-Slavery Society,
Underground Railroad in the Kentucky Borderlands
Cincinnati Vigilance Committee
Clarkson Anti-Slavery Society
Committee for West India Missions
Concord (New Hampshire) Female Anti-Slavery Society
Congregational Friends
Connecticut Abolition Society
Connecticut Society for the Promotion of Freedom and for the Relief of Persons Unlawfully Holden in Bondage
Conscience Whigs
Convention of Delegates from the Abolition Societies Established in Different Parts of the United States
Convention for the People of Color
Dedham (Massachusetts) Female Anti-Slavery Society
Delaware Abolition Society (DAS)
Delaware Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and for the Relief and Protection of Free Blacks and People of Color, Unlawfully Held in Bondage or Otherwise
Delaware Society for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery
Detroit Colored Vigilance Committee
District of Columbia Society for the Abolition of Slavery
Dorcas Anti-Slavery Society
Dorchester Female Anti-Slavery Society
DuPage County Anti-Slavery Society
Fall River (Massachusetts) Female Anti-Slavery Society
Female Anti-Slavery Society
Female Anti-Slavery Society of Chatham Street Chapel
Female Association for Promoting the Manufacture and Use of Free Cotton, Philadelphia
Female Wesleyan Anti-Slavery Society
Fitchburg Female Anti-Slavery Societ
Francis “Fanny” Wright Societies
Franklin County Anti-Slavery Society
Free African Society
A Free Labor Society
Free Produce Association of Friends of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
Free Produce Association of Green Plain
Free Produce Society of Pennsylvania
Free Soil Party
Freedom Association
Freewill Baptist Anti-Slavery Society
Friends Anti-Slavery Society
“Friends of Human Progress
Geneva Colored Anti-Slavery Society
Green Plain, Ohio, Meeting on the Fugitive Slave Law
Hicksite Anti-Slavery Society
Holmes Missionary Society
Jerry Rescue Committee
Joshua Glover Fugitive Slave Rescue Committee
Kennett Monthly Meeting in Chester County
Kent County (Rhode Island) Female Anti-Slavery Society
Kentucky Abolition Society
Kentucky Society for the Gradual Relief of Slavery
Kingston Anti-Slavery Society
Knights of Liberty
Dickson, Reverend Moses
Knox College
Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society of Fall River
Ladies’ (Cincinnati) Anti-Slavery Circle
Ladies’ (Dover) Anti-Slavery Society
Ladies’ New York Anti-Slavery Society
Ladies’ New York City Anti-Slavery Society
Lane Theological Seminary – Lane Anti-Slavery Society
Lansingburgh Vigilance Committee
Latimer Committee
League of Gileadites
Lemmon Fugitive Slave Case
The Liberator Newspaper
Liberty League
Liberty Party
Logan Female Anti-Slavery Society
Lynn (Massachusetts) Female Anti-Slavery Society
Maine Anti-Slavery Society
Mansfield Anti-Slavery Society
Manhattan Abolition Society
Manumission Society of North Carolina
Manumission Society of Tennessee
Maryland Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and the Relief of Free Negroes and Others Unlawfully Held in Bondage
Massachusetts Abolition Society
Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Fair
Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society (MASS)
Massachusetts Anti-Texas Committee to Prevent Admission of Texas as a Slave State
Massachusetts Emancipation Society
Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Society
Massachusetts Female Emancipation Society
Massachusetts General Colored Association
Massachusetts League of Freemen
Methodist Episcopal Church
Michigan State Anti-Slavery Society
The National Anti-Slavery Tract Society of Maryland
National Kansas Aid Convention
Dr. David Nelson’s Abolitionist Mission Institute
New England Anti-Slavery Society (NEASS)
New England Emigrant Aid Company (NEEAC)
New England Yearly Meeting (Orthodox)
New Hampshire State Anti-Slavery Society
New Jersey Anti-Slavery Society
New Jersey Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery
New York Association of Friends for the Relief of Those Held in Slavery
New York City Anti-Slavery Society
New York Colonization Society
New York Committee of Vigilance
New York Manumission Society (NYMS)
New York Orthodox Meeting
New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, see New York Manumission Society (NYMS)
New York State Anti-Slavery Society (NYSASS)
New York State Vigilance Committee/New York Committee of Vigilance
Newport Anti-Slavery Society
Newport Young Ladies’ Juvenal Anti-Slavery Society
North Carolina Manumission Society
North Star Association
Milwaukee Vigilance Committee
Oberlin College
Oberlin-Wellington Rescue Committee
Ohio American Anti-Slavery Society (OAASS)
Ohio Anti-Slavery Society
Ohio Vigilance Committee
Oneida County Anti-Slavery Association
Oneida Institute
Orthodox Philadelphia Meeting for Suffering0
Republican Party
Rhode Island Anti-Slavery Society
Rhode Island Society for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery
Rhode Island State Anti-Slavery Society
Rochester (New York) Female Anti-Slavery Society (RFASS)
Rochester (New York) Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society (RLASS)
Salem Anti-Slavery Society -
Sangamon County Anti-Slavery Society
Shadrach Minkins Rescue Activists
Sherburne Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society
Sims Fugitive Slave Rescue Case Committee
Smithfield Anti-Slavery Society
Smithfield Society
Society for the Abolition of Slave Trade
Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage
Society of Friends, Quakers
South Scituate Anti-Slavery Society
Syracuse Vigilance Committee (SVC)
Tennessee Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves (TMS)
Transcendentalism, Transcendental Abolitionists
Trenton Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery
Troy Vigilance Committee (TVC)
Union (New York) Anti-Slavery Sewing Society
Union Humane Society
Union Missionary Society
Unitarian Church
Utica Anti-Slavery Society

That's who they are

The fact that the Army suggested that we do not wear our uniforms when in public due to the harassing and bullying of returning Vietnam veterans, helped shape my opinions about politics.

The parallel between that and what the same people are doing with ICE and border agents should be helping you shape yours.

My First Time - A Vote was Purchased

We went to the beautiful old Washington County Courthouse in Jonesborough, Tennessee's oldest town, to get copies of some recorded papers printed.  Walking up the foot cupped steps, passed the brass plaque with the Ten Commandments, and into that ageless old building smell, we were happy to find the office on the first floor.

When we registered to vote, we had to get up to the third floor where the corridors were narrow enough to be designed by a submarine engineer.  The first floor office is off of the main lobby.

Upon entering the cramped Register of Deeds office, I noticed the lady at the desk had an "Elect Teresa  Bowman, Register of Deeds" t-shirt on.  Upon looking around, I saw that all but one of the ladies in the office had the same t-shirt.

The first thought was that this was certainly probably illegal, but I soon returned to the business of the day, asking the lady in the t-shirt if she would be so kind as to look up everything they had on Hickory Lake Homes.  It being the one without any hickory trees and about 20 minutes from any lake.

Upon moving here and spending over 30 hours on the phone with CenturyLink to get the Internet straightened out, I learned to keep calling back until I got a southern American woman's voice.  They are compelled to flow with their nature and help people.

In a southern voice so kind that she could have named any price, she told me that the copies would be 25 cents each.

'Okay.  So, Teresa, she's the one, huh?"

"Yes she is.  That's me, and I would appreciate your vote."

I felt a bit embarrassed about not seeing the t-shirt resemblance, but she did look a few years older (and a little heavier) in person.

At this time a male suit walked in asking in a no-nonsense voice about audit papers.  Teresa told us to please excuse her.  She was the only one there that could help this guy, and told us Peggy would help us - she knows just what to do.

Peggy, younger, with a properly supportive t-shirt got to our recordings and printed them out.

"How much is all that," I asked. Looked like about 75 pages.

"Oh, that's all right, Sweetie.  Just vote for us in the April primary."

I kept my voice down, turned my head a bit and squinted,  "It's my first time, you know.  Having my vote bought."

Looking at me askance, she said, "Ya'll ain't from around here, are ya'll?"

Giving me that southern eye-bat wink that always shakes up my balance, she said, "It may take a little getting used to, but you'uns will learn to love this mountaineer heritage we have around here.  Scotch-Irish, you know.

"I can tell about people ...  Ya'll gonna be one of us soon."

Picking up our papers, we walked out unable to stop laughing about how we could not wait to come back to the Washington County Courthouse and tried to think of some reason for doing that.

The Happiness of Astronomers

Astronomers are the happiest people on earth.  Their sense of wonder and curiosity animates a permanent smile on their faces as they spend endless hours and money simply raptured in the pointless pursuit of more questions.

A Fish Doesn't Know he's Wet

Probably true.  But he does know when he is dry.



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I brought up the following Facebook comment at our table at the diner this morning:

 "I don't find much relevance for capitalist
 philosophy with the business owners that I know."

Vacant looks turned into vigorous facial expressions and discussions followed.  The fish/wet thing came up with the question of whether the fish considers water a philosophy.

This led to a philosophical discussion of air and it would be necessary to have a philosophy of it if you wanted to breathe.

When I mentioned bartering some were quick to add that trade with chickens is trade with a different store of value, and therefore, capitalism.

That deteriorated into one man's vague college memory about when they used chess pieces for money.

"Yep, I brung a queen in to git a bag of tobackah and some rollin' papers, and the clerklady gave a rook and two pawns in change."

Then some tried hard to be serious.

"If it ain't using capitalism, they must be state run, state owned, or state regulated.  That's the difference."

"Mebee they's got slaves instead of paid labor employees."

"If the owners control the production and they get an income from their labor, the relevance is in every aspect of their lives, whether they find it or wish to ignore it, they are immersed in it."

The topics then drifted into food, the weather, and what to do with the rest of our lives.

Jacob mentioned if it ain't raining he was going out for fish tonight.

Stock Buybacks

I often find myself thinking about a junior high Earth Science teacher, who in 1961 was so embarrassed that President Kennedy had to step in front of the nation and show Americans where Vietnam was and what it looked like, that he was compelled to action the very next school day.

An imposing figure, boxer, adventurer, weight lifter, and mountain climber, his furiosity over the situation got our attention when he said, "This atrocity will not stand as long as I have the control to do a small part to alleviate the situation. This being Earth Science, I have decided that you will learn the earth.

"Every river, every country, every mountain range, every state, province, continent, ocean, major lake, desert, plateau, and whatever I can't think of right now will be burned into your American brain.

"I fear the day that a future president will have to stand in from of America with a map of the United States and show them where South Dakota is.

"For this semester you will be immersed in maps: first with the names of all the natural and political features, then tested with blank maps you will be instructed to fill in."

And we did.

I wonder if JFK felt like apologizing for being so elementary.

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The study and learning of our economic system would also seem to be important, but judging by people's comments on social media, very few Americans have the slightest clue how our economy and money systems work, and why they work so well. Many of these commenters consider a corporation's main purpose to be at odds with the vague concept of the Common Good, which has a variety of definitions in the minds of the beholders that are all far from common. Without discussing the unfortunate mistake of thinking that our system itself is wrong, and therefore whatever the main actors in our system (corporations) do to advance their purpose is wrong, I'll be Mr. Prentiss. On the fact that the system is the best, most efficient, fairest, and most commonly good that man can come up with, consider the following: The purpose of a pure corporation is to grow wealth and profits, and, as a result, to maximize shareholders' wealth by paying dividends and increasing the stock price. it is a wonder that the tax reform has motivated so many corporations to reward their employees rather than plow the money into wealth growing activities. After a short lesson on the very basic concepts of corporations and stock prices, I'll

try to answer that. Shareholder wealth is the appropriate goal of a business firm in a capitalist society. In a capitalist society, there is private ownership of goods and services by individuals, and to survive it must show a stream of increasing profits. Those individuals own the means of production to make money. The profits from the businesses in the economy accrue to the shareholders. When business managers try to maximize the wealth of their firm, they are actually trying to increase their stock price. As the stock price increases, the stockholders' wealth increases. As the stock price goes up, the market cap of the firm increases and the net worth of the stockholder increases.

Profits and a good outlook toward the future economic climate does this every day, but... A fast and effective way to increase shareholder wealth is a stock buyback. The company goes into the stock marketplace and purchases its own stock, driving up demand for the stock, and decreasing its supply. (I can almost see you, Mr. President.) This makes the price go up. Kind of basic, but either misunderstood, or considered an evil system because some people believe that all income should be equally distributed, and the wealth in a system like this is distributed unevenly, as is all wealth, everywhere, under all economic systems. So why would a corporation, if pure to its tenets, use tax reform to increase the wealth of its employees? It doesn't make sense in a linear, scientific corporate definition way, but may become clear with addition of the human nature variable. The motives to reward employees are as varied as the people who run these corporations. Some may think it is being socially responsible and think that is a pure and noble pursuit, but for the most part, they are directly bowing the first and foremost purposes of the organization - to survive and grow shareholder wealth.

And it follows that loyal, qualified, long term employees with high morale will help the corporation achieve its goals, work hard to advance themselves and the company.

Whatever the reasons, as a person who appreciates how near perfect our system works as it parallels the currents of human nature, I am comforted to see how surprised the critics were when so many corporations have been and will continue to generously reward employees with the tax reform money.

As an additional note to those who philosophize failure, the corporate tax reform has no expiration date and you can't buy your own stock forever. They will have to do something else with all that money very soon.