DUBOSE FORREST change my life in the four years I knew her-for the better, of course. It’s easy to get set in your ways but Dubose never let that happen-for her or for me. Having a lot of the same interests, Dubose knew when, where and what FUN was happening and, along with Chris, invited me to join them on countless new  adventures I’d been missing in my life. Whether it be sing- alongs at her house, attending special events or simply walking the ‘reZ’ with her wonderful dogs, celebrating birthdays In special meaningful ways, getting into dance or just breaking bread and having long , interesting conversations that had been missing in my life, duBose opened new doors   .   It’s called ‘Living Life to the fullest.’

It’s so easy to put things off for tomorrow or forever but with Dubose you wanted to join in cuz you knew it was going to be at least interesting and it was so easy to be around Dubose, and Chris. And  She didn’t procrastinate. Many times I’d get a call a couple hours before an event and , unlike my past life, this time I would not  procrastinate. One example is that I hadn’t been to Ashkenaz   in Berkeley for years.   I would find out that was one of Dubose’s favorite  1    places to dance 1  and hear music including her favorite local performer , Tom Rigney.   Along with Chris, we’d make our way out there on numerous occasions and have a lot of fun.  And I would later find out that Chris was instrumental in starting Ashkenaz with the original owner some 50 years ago and he was honored recently . That’s another story in itself.

And then DUBOSE introduced me to Rossmoor which I call  an ‘adult playground’ with varied activities of which I’m still taking part today, all thanks to Dubose. I’ve even got a new condo overlooking the 18th green or one of the greens at Rossmoor after having had the serendipitous good fortune of sub-renting Dubose’ place high in the hills of Rossmoor after renting out my old office condo in Pleasant Hill to a friend in need. Dubose’ renter fell thru and after mentioning to her my plight she sad she had the perfect solution to both of our needs. It was perfect timing and yet the setting for another adventure with a place we could have sing alongs and dancing around my jukebox, which came to life again after lying dormant   for years at my previous office condo

Dubose, still living in her Lafayette home of 35 years, first had the idea of getting a place in Rossmoor largely so                    `            2

  she could take advantage of the many dance events and activities available in this adult playland. She loved her daily swims there, dance opportunities, singalongs, hiking club and much more.. Rossmoor was a place I had stayed away from all my life because  that was where   old people lived but Dubose quickly changed my misconception of the place. After all, I’m a senior now and have a better chance of meeting like-minded folks there than in Lafayette. Thanks to Dubose, I am just learning of the many opportunities  living at Rossmoor in a new condo.   I feel like Dubose is with me everyday guiding my way and sharing the experiences if not in person in the heart.

 Kindred spirits like Dubose are rare to find and sometimes never come along in a lifetime.  We both agreed that we were now living out as adults the childhoods we never really had, for different reasons.  I will always cherish the  short and sweet friendship I had Dubose. i will always treasure the times we had that will never happen again.. There will never be another Dubose In my life but there are the many things she has given me including introducing me to new friends like Jackie and Frank and Chris with whom I continue to do   things I did with Dubose. and Dubose somehow always seems to be with us . I have people now I can talk to with3 Dubose in mind and share memories of Dubose. It really helps.                                                                                                 

Yes, it seems unfair, very unfair, that Dubose didn’t get to finish her dream life including living in Rossmoor full time and spending time with her new grandchild and more time with her other grandchildren, having more sing-alongs and more dance competitions and just savoring more days as she always did- living life to the fullest.

That’s one thing about Dubose. At least in the later years that I knew her she packed in a lot of life. And I was lucky enough to share a part of that with her.

Among Duboses’ many qualities I would say  her kindness, generosity, honesty and down to earth ways were especially endearing. I can’t imagine seeing Dubose ever mad. If she ever was  I’m sure she got over it quickly as it was not in her character.

Living in Lafayette over 25 years, myself, for the first time I had a friend ,locally,  who I felt like I could count on in a pinch. I remember when I had to put down one  my special4  cat , Zack, a few years back. I couldn’t find any of my old friends to accompany me to the vet for this difficult  

last goodbye, but Dubose was right there when I needed  most . And that’s just one of many examples of a special friendship I had with Dubose , along with Chris.    I certainly didn’t mean to leave Chris out of the story as he was very much a part of our time together but this is about Dubose today and I’m lucky to still have Chris as a friend, who has a lot of the same qualities as Dubose and who we can share memories and still     do  the same things we did with Dubose. Ditto with Jackie and Frank.

  And it definitely helps ease the pain of loss of Dubose to know that she’s still with us, in a   sense, via her friends and spirit .

Thank you for    letting me share my thoughts about my exceptional friend , Dubose. In closing , Dubose could sometimes be on the shy, quiet side, not wanting to dominate an occasion, TO which I related . So if you never really got to know her it’s  understandable, YET unfortunate . But please know that she was every bit and more the person to whom I tried to pay tribute  today. We love you and miss you Dubose …Sorry if I’m going on a bit long but I want to 5

 express  at least some of my many thoughts in of Dubose, such as      

HOW I MET DUBOSE AND CHRIS

In our world today old-fashioned values and neighborly ways seem to be in short supply.

I’ve lived in Lafayette for over 25 years. It’s a nice town but one where sidewalks aren’t necessary because mostly affluent people often are hidden behind high gates. You rarely see kids outside playing games or their parents coming over to share recipes,  food or have friendly exchanges with their neighbors like I remember growing up in old Oakland.  

After 25 years living in Lafayette with little to show on the social side, I decided if they weren’t going to reach out I was going to try  harder to reach them , perhaps finding somebody to share my music passion. So I started a meetup group to sing and play the good old music i grew up with.

Not a lot of response to my first and following backyard meetups though two people stood out. Those would be   Dubose and Chris, who I remember clear as day lugging in a heavy keyboard from their car  to my backyard Tiki garden, as I call it. And we became fast friends. We liked the same6 music , had  similar temperament and enjoyed each other’s    company.                                                                     

From our get-togethers or ‘sing-alongs’ as we called them, Dubose was inspired to startup her old sing-alongs at her house with sometimes over 30 people that she had done previously for 10 years but stopped    . So those monthly sessions  went on for awhile  f  months but then she decided it was too much work and easier and more enjoyable  just having our own small group sing-alongs  . And we continued these off and on, even in bad health . I had my own  TRIGGER finger issue for over a year as did Dubose but we were still   able to at least sing, if not  play instruments. And, of course there were the concerts, dances, dining, movies and more fun activities

The one thing I regret is that I never really took up Dubose ‘ offer to accompany them to dances, especially Merry   Mixers. I felt they were so advanced for me, though I did go to a few   events such as at Ashkenaz where I did make an effort to join in the dance.

I am happy to say that I am now taking dance lessons following Duboses’ inspiration and I’m finding out why she so much loved her dancing. It’s  not only   a great social outlet7  but excellent exercise and you get to hear some really good music at the same time                                 

It really hit me how very special a person Dubose was   after we lost her.  I knew how much she meant to me And how having her as a friend  sort of recharged my life these last few years.

But when the almost daily interesting   messages and phone calls stopped there was      nothing  to replace them and the person behind those messages .  Dubose  was special, in her kindness, giving , spirit, honesty,   common sense and dynamism. We’re lucky if we meet one person in a lifetime like  a Dubose. So I will hang on to the many memories and what I learned through her that are now a part of me and MY  life.

I do have to Tell a little anecdote that could only happen with Dubose. A few days after she passed I was really feeling bad, of course, missing her along with her  text communication which she kept up until her very last day.8  

Dubose was able to summon up enough energy and desire to mostly text and even make a few calls. Then there was silence.

As I was missing her loyal frequent texts , about three days after she left us I received this text message from Dubose and I said to myself ‘how could this be.’ This was too unreal and even exciting. I’m not sure I believe in messages from the grave. From the best I can figure after talking to Blake or Louise It was some unseen photos she had scheduled , perhaps ,   a final final ‘goodbye’ to send me  with a     generous  one word caption, ‘el maestro’  .                                                 

That this last text from her, which I had thought was from Louise or Blake who had Dubose phone but ,no, it was her as only Dubose would do something like this. And it made my day and week and month. But that was typical Dubose , special person that she was and is, coming up with special things and special moments to share..and

there were a lot of them.

So I miss the last minute calls, ‘hey burt, theres is a Everly Brothers cover band over at the event Center or there’s a sing-along at lamorinda village or let’s have our own sing-along tonight    …’                                   9

Or ‘lets go for dinner at this new place’ . Can you be ready in an hour. ?’

And ,of course,  I said ‘yes’  most of the time even when I wasn’t always at my best and probably would have said no to someone else.  I tried to extend some offers myself of which dubose and chris usually took me up.

By the way , Dubose is a great   baker and cook, as many of you know who were recipients of her          

 Healthy yet tasty Home- made breads and various treats .                                                                                                        

 She always had healthy yet tasty snacks for us when we would do our sing-alongs or get togethers. So there’s a lot to miss but I am lucky I got 4 full years worth of great times in   what are now cherished memories I wouldn’t have had otherwise had I not extended myself for once with my own meetup group where I met Dubose with Chris .

SEIZE THE DAY

  I believe the number one  thing I learned from Dubose is to ‘seize the day ‘ or carpe diem -do it now and don’t put off for tomorrow what you could do today . Extend yourself a bit cuz you might not be here tomorrow. No doubt that was lurking in the back of Dubose’ mind these last years and 10 fortunately  she was able to pack in a lot  into a shortened life . And I was so fortunate to be part of it. And a lot of that will continue. I began keeping a diary about a year after I met Dubose and Chris – not only to keep a record of all the great stuff we did together, but to make sure I did at least one thing of special note every day.

If it weren’t for Dubose I wouldn’t be taking dance lessons today or playing music and singing again or extending myself beyond what I normally did. So I owe so much to Dubose and Chris and I’m thankful for them and if Dubose   hears me wherever she is I want to thank you more    

than can tell you for sharing part of your last years with me . I will never forget it and you’ll always be a big part of my life Dubose.  Love you always.           11

I remember visiting Oceanic arts Tiki in -let’s see -it would have been about 2006 -my 55th birthday , I know that.
It was the highlight of my burtday trip even though I didn’t get to meet any of these interesting folks in the video but bought a lot of tiki that still decorates my house . It was really the only full-blown Tiki factory ,so to speak, that I know of and to my knowledge nothing has or will replace it.

So it was my delight to recently discover my fave Huell had been there probably about the same time I was there. See below. Sadly Oceanic arts closed around 2021 but sure good to have this great memory:

Best episode yet on the new Huell Howser program (really old shows but updated to the ‘visiting with’ format rather than California Gold and we like the new format visiting people as well as places. Tonight Hewell visited my favorite Tiki place oceanic arts in Whittier California where they manufactured so much of the Tiki you find in restaurants and places of note today. However in checking with Mr Google we learned that the store actually closed in 2021. This video was probably made around 2010 while the place still thrived and stay tuned at the end of the video below for a very funny Tiki dance

. After Dubose’s generous birthday for me it was only fitting to have one for her . Dinner at Reve in Lafayette and singalong at theire home

The wedding: Dubose and new husband Chris at their home wedding around 2019 before I met them )(‘courtesy FF, videographer and friend)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DOIPLdL_9Np3yNSl9f9a261gHcpFvjLc/view?usp=drivesdk

‘I love you Burt. Today my grandchildren come to say goodbye. New complications incompatible with life have been discovered and the pain is intractable so I am on comfort care only . Only immediate family is allowed to be here but I wanted you to know how much you and your kindness have meant to me. My children will be in touch as they know too’ dubose 9-21

my reoly:

‘Dubose, I’m beyond heartbroken. My best friend , I love you and I’m hoping and praying 🙏. Words cannot express what I’ve been feeling . You will always be in my heart wherever you are. . You are an angel sent from above and you’ve given given given like nobody else. Hard to go on but I will do whatever I can to support Chris and your family and especially you. I’m sorry I can’t see you in person but at least this way we can express feelings. My last few years have been my best thanks to meeting you with your unparalelled friendship.  I’ve never had a friend like you and never will. I have a lot more feelings but will pause for now and pray pray pray for you at Rosh Hashana tomorrow. This is not goodbye but solong for now. We will see each other again’

Meeting DUBOSE and Chris

Only a few years ago I decided it was time to reach out and finally try to find a good friend or two in the city I’ve been living in for 25 years while engaging my music passion. I went beyond my usual reserve nature and started a music meetup group. we had a couple or three sessions in my tiki garden that were ok but less than spectacular . but the only thing that saved those sessions were two people among the five or six who attended and those were Dubose and Chris. We had had some problems with two of the other attendees who wanted to take over the music agenda . So even in ending my meetup sessions after only a few I consider them a success because I met these two wonderful people dubois and Chris who would become my first real great Lafayette friends in 25 years. And that was the beginning of a wonderful friendship that would last only a couple more years but what great years they were. In dubose and Chris I had met among the kindest, most none questioning, down to earth people—–people I haven’t been able to find in this well healedcity where unfortunately folks often wear that wealth on their sleeve, so to speak. And I didn’t mean to leave out there managery of wonderful animals. Like me it was important for it to both and Chris to have free friends around them, friends who couldn’t readilyspeak their mind but leave it to dubose to figure out and communicate with them is only she could.

So Dubose and Chris and I decided we can have our own little sing-alongs and play alongs on our own even if it only meant having  three people. Dubose and Chris were generous enough to host these gatherings at their beautiful home . And it worked wonderfully.. And it wasn’t just about only music singing and playing but it was about discussion and sitting around having good food we shared in potluck style but mostly dubose’  good cooking. In fact , it went so well that dubose told me she decided to restart larger sing-alongs at her home as she had done going back a decade earlier In addition to the small ones. Where those bigger ones didn’t last due to the same problem l we were having at my get togethers and which had ended her bigger ones a few years back but we continued to have our small get togethers until  recently, singing playing discussing eating in good old fashioned  friendship I haven’t been around much in recent years.

On my last birthday in April dubose went out of her way to give me one of my best birthdays ever by taking me out with her and Chris too a new restaurant (for me) and then take us back to play snd sing together at her house. She was the only one among my friends to go out of their way to do something like that for me. That’s just the kind of person she is, along with Chris. Always thinking of others much more than herself.

Dubose was always looking after her family and especially her grandkids, even when she began having more and more health issues. I worried about her but she said how important it was for her to give her grandkids the positive attention and activitiy (as a grandmother) she never had as a kid growing up . (And I could certainly relate haven’t had a loving but absent workaholic father). workaholic

Where I go from here I don’t know. I hope somehow dubose  can pull off a miracle and stick around for some time. It will never be the same without her

of course that miracle will never happen as we lost Dubose 10-28

Dubose with Chris, third and second from right at one of our sing-alongs at their house

On my birthday at piano sing-along after dinner at acidic Cafe walnut creek on my burtday 4-7-25

with Chris in Middle 4-7 birthday sing-along

I met Dubose sent her husband Chris a t ‘meetup’ music group that I started about 3 or 4 years ago in my backyard . Did she’s a mom and joy it was meant to be a music group where we played and sing along to most the old ’50s ’60s music. Only a handful of people showed up and it only lasted two or three sessions due to lack of interest I guess. But the one positive thing that came out of it was my new friendship with Dubose and Chris, two of the nicest and funnest people if you will , that you’ll ever meet or at least for my point of view. We really hit it off and had many small sing-alongs on our own and with a few others since then. Dubose hosted thanks to her generosity and her larger home with a ballroom and yard. We’ve enjoyed many fun times together, not just music but dancing and dining and short road trips.

Dubose is a family person, however I did notice that she was so devoted to her four children and their offspring, her grandkids, that she would give or appear to give much more than she would get back, always show freaking kids to lessons and probably not getting enough sleep herself which may have led to her stage four cancer diagnosis in recent weeks. It’s hard to write about right now but I will expand on this in a later time. Right now we’re in limbo with Dubose in the hospital now going on several weeks apparently under hospice care from the little I could gather from her. I’ve had little communication with her family who are the only ones allowed in her room. I have dropped off flowers and gifts along with Frank another friend on several occasions. It is a very difficult time of course more for her but it’s affecting me a lot as I’m heartbroken she’s probably lose what I would have to say is my current best friend of only a few years that I’ve known her. It’s all very disturbing confusing, almost surreal how quickly it came on after an initial situation diagnosis

AFTER DUBOSE

‘I love you Burt. Today my grandchildren come to say goodbye. New complications incompatible with life have been discovered and the pain is intractable so I am on comfort care only . Only immediate family is allowed to be here but I wanted you to know how much you and your kindness have meant to me. My children will be in touch as they know too’ -dubose Forrest 92125

my reply:

Dubose, I am beyond heartbroken. My best friend , I love you and I’m hoping and praying 🙏. Words cannot express what I’ve been feeling . You will always be in my heart wherever you are. . You are an angel sent from above and you’ve given given given like nobody else. Hard to go on but I will do whatever I can to support Chris and your family and especially you. I’m sorry I can’t see you in person but at least this way we can express feelings. My last few years have been my best thanks to meeting you with your unparalelled friendwhip..  I’ve never had a friend like you and never will. I have a lot more feelings but will pause for now and pray pray pray for you at special services tomorrow. This is not goodbye but solong for now. We will see each other again.

Short But Oh So Sweet Friendship

Only a few years ago I decided it was time to reach out and finally try to find a good friend or two in the city I’ve been living in for 25 years while engaging my music passion. I went beyond my usual reserved nature and started a music meetup group. We had a couple or three sessions in my tiki garden that were ok but less than spectacular . The only thing that saved those sessions were two people among the five or six who attended and those were Dubose and Chris. We had had some problems with two of the other attendees who wanted to take over the music agenda . So even in ending my meetup sessions after only a few I considered them a success because I met these two wonderful people Dubois and Chris who would become my first real great Lafayette friends in 25 years. And that was the beginning of a wonderful friendship that would last only a few more years but what great years they were. In Dubose and Chris I had met among the kindest, most non- questioning, down to earth people—–people I haven’t been able to find in this well healed city where, unfortunately, folks often wear that wealth on their sleeve, so to speak. And I didn’t mean to leave out there managerie of wonderful animals. Like me it was important for Dubose and Chris to have furry friends around them, friends who couldn’t readily speak their mind but leave it to dubose to figure out and communicate with them as only she could.

So Dubose and Chris and I decided we could have our own little sing-alongs and play alongs on our own even if it only meant having  three people. Dubose and Chris were generous enough to host these gatherings at their beautiful home . And it worked wonderfully.. And it wasn’t just about only music singing and playing but it was about discussion and sitting around having good food we shared in potluck style but mostly dubose’  great cooking. In fact , it went so well that dubose told me she decided to restart larger sing-alongs at her home as she had done going back a decade earlier In addition to the small ones. Where those bigger ones didn’t last due to the same problem we were having at my get togethers and which had ended her bigger ones a few years back but we continued to have our small get togethers until  recently, singing playing discussing eating in good old fashioned  friendship I haven’t been around much in recent years.

On my last birthday in April Dubose went out of her way to give me one of my best birthdays ever by taking me out with her and Chris to a new restaurant (for me) and then take us back to play and sing together at her house. She was the only one among my friends to go out of their way to do something like that for me. That’s just the kind of person she is, along with Chris. Always thinking of others much more than herself.

Dubose was always looking after her family and especially her grandkids-even when she began having more and more health issues. I worried about her but she said how important it was for her to give her grandkids the positive attention and activitiy (as a grandmother) she never had as a kid growing up . (And I could certainly relate haven’t had a loving but absent workaholic father). workaholic

Where I go from here I don’t know. I hope somehow dubose  can pull off a miracle and stick around for some time. It will never be the same without her. My life and a lot of others will never be the same without her but I will go on living with Dubose always in my heart and living each day with her in mind.

This is when my new diary really comes in handy reminding me of things I can’t remind myself of because of my bad memory, even sad things like Zippy’s passing one year or a little more ago. Hey just started my diary then  maybe it was from 2 years ago i lost zippy. I’m I’m all confused but here’s the entry fro. ja  13  2023

Hard to live without our furry friends. Its been over 20 years since Pucky and Roscoe , left, with beautiful portrait by their late mother a d my sister, Joan , taken here i’nthe large bathroom of my Laf home where we had four great years together I’ll never forget. Numerous cats since then since i don’t have a good yard for dogs. New additions Oreo, 1, and best buddy Archie, 13, now enjoy where Zack and Orange julius and Zippy lived and loved in the past 2 years. Plus 16 year ild Pinky curreently enjoys her quiet life watching the birds in the back bedroom cat TV with me . A good , happy, fortunate life it is. Hope same for you out there whomight be reading this.

got my first furry friend, Juicy, a cat I found I bsckroads, obviously left by his people along with mattress , etc. He was a great orange cat but a handful at times with a wild atrwk from having. Ee left out in the wilds see pic below with other past family

Maybe a A little extreme but let this be a wake up call to live each day to the fullest while we have our health.. Talk show host Mike Gallagher’s burtday is also April 7, on which he reads an email from a listener -be patient until halfway thru this 5 minute monologue- who insists getting older is a terrible experience. Maybe a bit extreme or maybe I’m just lucky for now. In another 5 years I might not be, so I’m going out to LIVE TODAY and TOMORROW and the NEXT DAY. In the meantime I will do my best to take care of myself, Eat well, etc. but enjoy while doing so. You? So, Don’t call me today as I’ll be out living my burtday to the fullest. Thanks for all the kind burtday wishes and I hope u do same on your burtday and everyday> https://youtu.be/deThpSusjyk

  “America will never be destroyed from the outside,” said Abraham Lincoln.  “If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”  Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev said the same thing in 1961.  “We do not have to destroy America with missiles,” he said.  “America will destroy itself from within.”  Were they correct?

Waving Goodbye to the America We All Knew and Loved
By Ed Brodow

Latest example:

Alfredo Ortiz: MLB Pulling ASG from Georgia Will ‘Cost Upwards of $100 Million of Economic Damages’ > https://t.me/Breitbart/106011 Every freedom-loving person should boycott sponsors supporting MLB move , ie Coca cola , Delta airlines, etc…. Gone: American Icons Baseball, Coke …Next it will be Apple pie

Waving Goodbye to the America We All Knew and Loved

By Ed Brodow

Waving Goodbye to the America We All Knew and Loved

By Ed Brodow

My generation believed in the United States.  We believed in its respect for the individual, in its Constitution, in its status as the only benign superpower in history.  In other words, we believed in American exceptionalism.  “Traditional American values are worthy of a passionate defense,” said author and TV commentator Monica Crowley.  Referring to these values as “the American project,” Charles Murray, author of Coming Apart, defined it as the continuing effort “to demonstrate that human beings can be left free as individuals and families to live their lives as they see fit, coming together voluntarily to solve their joint problems.”  If you boil it down, what makes our society unique in world history is the respect accorded the rights of the individual citizen.  The Constitution was written as a restraint on the power of the government to interfere in our lives.

All that seems to be changing.  As we move into 2021, to borrow from Shakespeare, something is rotten.  It is difficult to pinpoint the origin or the exact nature of America’s disintegration.  It developed a head of steam when a man who hates this country, Barack Obama, was elected president.  For eight years, we watched his concentrated assault on our values. Obama and his fellow Democrats have introduced some new concepts into our vernacular: democratic socialism, identity politics, social justice, diversity, inclusion, political correctness, Critical Race Theory, cancel culture.  They were intended for the express purpose of destroying everything that is laudable about America.

If you wanted to destroy the USA, how would you do it?  “America will never be destroyed from the outside,” said Abraham Lincoln.  “If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”  Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev said the same thing in 1961.  “We do not have to destroy America with missiles,” he said.  “America will destroy itself from within.”  Were they correct?

In February 2019, astute Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson made this observation: “[t]he political debate between the right and the left seems to be moving forward in a manner that indicates the fundamental robustness of the institutions of democracy in the U.S.”  Peterson’s observation is no longer accurate — our democratic institutions are anything but robust.  The political debate is flirting with civil war as progressives in Congress and on social media gang up to censor conservative viewpoints.  Citizens have no confidence in their elected representatives, the legal system, the media, or each other.  Public officials encourage disrespect for the laws they are sworn to defend.  Our cities are being torn apart with rioting, looting, and arson as mayors and governors encourage the breakdown of civil order.

There is no doubt that our government does not run the way it was intended.  Congress seems incapable of doing the country’s business.  What has it accomplished in the last four years aside from the ridiculous impeachment of the president and sending our tax money to countries that call us names?  Using the coronavirus as an excuse, government is trying to insinuate itself into every facet of our lives.  As we allow the government to tell us when we can leave our homes, when we can go to work, and under what circumstances we can run our businesses, we relinquish more and more of our independence.

The worst shortcoming of our government is its failure to maintain election integrity.  According to the US News & World Report, U.S. elections from July 2012 through December 2018 rated “lower than any other long-established democracies and affluent societies.”  The source is a 2019 report published by the Electoral Integrity Project, an independent project based out of Harvard University.  This revelation should make all Americans clamor for improvement.

The 2020 presidential election has brought us even lower on the ladder.  We have more than a thousand sworn affidavits attesting to massive voter fraud: suspension of signature verification, violation of state election rules, non-verification of mail-in ballots, backdating of ballots, double-voting, dead people voting, hiding ballots under the table, refusal to allow poll-watching, and vote-switching by machine systems.  “People are going on the record under oath and risking being canceled, doxed, and even accosted, to tell what they have seen about this election process,” said Rep. Michael Cloud.  “The apparent lack of action from the Justice Department regarding a number of anomalies, statistical improbabilities, and sworn accusations of fraud is troubling.”  It may be troubling, but it is consistent with partisan activities of the DOJ, the FBI, and the IRS.  FBI Director James Comey’s refusal to indict Hillary Clinton, Obama’s weaponization of the IRS against conservative groups, and inaction from the Durham investigation have destroyed the public’s confidence in our justice system.

In spite of the media’s efforts to hide the truth, the public knows what is going on.  Actor James Woods tweeted, “70,000,000 Americans are outraged about this befouled election.”  “We don’t accept this fraudulent result.”  Whenever the president tries to expose the fraud, the media poison the airwaves with the same mendacious phrase: “Trump’s baseless allegations.”  It makes my skin crawl every time I see this lie repeated by CNN, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.  The media are no longer free to express conservative viewpoints and have abdicated their role as the republic’s watchdog.

What kind of nation are we bequeathing to our children?  Unless we wake up soon, it won’t be pretty.  Perhaps Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World, was correct when he predicted “a dictatorship without tears … a kind of painless concentration camp so that people will have their liberties taken away from them, but will rather enjoy it, because they will be distracted from any desire to rebel by propaganda or brainwashing.

‘America in a Necessary Era of Decline’ – Barack Obama