May 20, 2019

The announcement of the canonization of Archbishop Romero, long over due, has finally been made. Amen!

ROME - Pope Francis has chosen the date for the ceremony that will see the Catholic Church officially recognize the sainthood of Pope Paul VI and Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, who was martyred as he was celebrating Mass: They will be canonized on Oct. 14, 2018.

The highly anticipated announcement was made on Saturday, during an ordinary public consistory, meaning a meeting of the pope, cardinals and the promoters of sainthood causes.

The October ceremony, to be celebrated by Francis, will be in Rome, during the Synod of Bishops on the youth that will take place from October 3 to 28, 2018.

    Also, yesterday, was the marriage of Meghan Markle to Prince Harry (now the Duke and Dutchess of  Sussex). I was reminded when Meghan told of the time when she was given a form to fill out asking to which race she belonged. She said she didn’t know what to answer (she was in the 7^th grade, probably about 13 yrs. Old) so she left it blank. I had a similar experience when I was asked to report to the Special Branch office in Umthatha some years back. It seems that they had lost some papers and wanted me to fill in some forms again (these government departments seem to have a habit of losing things, Hmmm.). One of the questions on the form was the same as the question they asked Meghan, to what race I belonged. I was a bit older that she, so I knew how to answer. I said: HUMAN. I belong to the HUMAN RACE. They were a bit puzzled by this answer as it was, obviously not what they expected, so they asked why I answered that way. I said it was because in the country where I come from they don’t ask that question (was that a lie?). They said, well, what country do you come from. I said America. So they told me to put “American” race. Which I did. So now it is official, in the archives. I am officially a member of the American Race, whatever that is.

     While I am here, let me comment  on Nikki Haley’s extortionistic warnings to the members of the European Union and others who have dealing with Iran, that, if they don’t vote with America on the issues that are dealt with in the United Nations, they will be punished by having action taken against them perhaps in the form of tariffs, or even cutting off their financial ties with America. What rubbish (garbage). That is out and out bribery and extortion. Who can do that. It reminds me of the saying that we used to have as kids, when we wanted to pick a both sides of a team to play a game (it was usually American football at the time), the one who provided the ball was the one who made the rules. If we didn’t agree with him, he simply said he was going home and taking his ball with him. She is worse than childish. And her support for the Israeli sharpshooters using live ammunition to shoot at and kill unarmed Palestinian people (some of them were throwing rocks, which is terribly threatening as we know to the security of the country of Israel) is sickening. She says she speaks for us Americans. She doesn’t speak for me and I doubt for any fair minded Americans, what she says is true. She speaks for herself and for the powerful Jewish lobby which heavily supports the Republican party with hefty donations. At least that is how I see it.

    There was a program on TV, Al Jazeera, explaining the background of the Palestinian situation. One of the episodes talked of a meeting that the Zionists had, I believe, in New York, where they made it clear that their intention for the planned new country of Israel was to take over the whole of what was then Palestine including the TransJordanian territory. With what it happening in the West Bank, the continuing building of new housing projects, on Palestinian land, and what is happening in Gaza, with the bombing of schools, hospitals, water supplies and electricity supplies, you can see that this is the fulfilment of what they had decided at that meeting. The original intention was to send all the Palestinians to Iraq. But History has gone in a different direction.

     I repeat, Nikki Haley, certainly doesn’t speak for me, as an American, and I think what she says is a lie, except for the Jewish lobby and the right wing Christians who are the base for Mr. Trump. Amen for today.

May 19, 2019

   Another shooting at a school in Santa Fe Texas, 10 dead, others in hospital. More mealy mouthed words from Trump who seems to worship at the church of the NRA. Here’s what Governor Cuomo of New York had to say and I agree with him 200%

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo slammed the President in an open letter shared in wake of the school shooting.

"When is enough enough? How many more innocent people have to die before you act? Cuomo wrote. "You were elected to lead - do something. Your first responsibility is to the people of this country, not the NRA - do something. My heart breaks for the families who have to grieve from this needless violence - DO SOMETHING."

Friday's shooting marks the third in just a week's time. On Wednesday, a 19-year-old from Illinois emerged from the bathroom at Mason Dixon High School and opened fire as students rehearsed for graduation in the gym, nearby. He was arrested after being injured in a gunfire exchange with School Resource Officer Mark Dallas, who has been lauded as a hero for ending the attack.

On May 11, a 14-year-old boy began shooting a semiautomatic rifle before class began at the High School that day. He was arrested on attempted murder charges for the attack, which left one wounded.

At the end of January, two students were killed and 14 were wounded by gunfire when a student opened fire before classes began at Marshall Count High School in Western Kentucky. Gabriel Ross, who was 15 at the time, was arrested and charged with 14 counts of assault. Less than a month later, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz unleashed a hail of bullets at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 and injuring more than a dozen.