Veterans Day

I did not serve in the military and reflect on that from time to time. I started college in 1964, graduating 4 years later. Finances were tight and I considered enrolling in ROTC mainly because there was a stipend. But the Vietnam conflict was escalating and there was an increasing chance of winding up in that conflict. My father and several uncles/aunts had served during WW II, and were praised for their patriotism. In 1966, I was ordered to report for a physical exam, even though I had a student deferment (2-S) and was not in danger of flunking out.

I reported for my physical on July 1, 1966, and the only document I carried regarding my physical status was a letter from the doctor who did knee surgery on me in 1963 and aspirated that knee about 4 weeks ago. There were over 200 of us going through the exam that day in Richmond. At some point I wound up standing in front of someone reviewing my file. After going through it he said, "I am sorry son, but we are going to reject your capacity for military service at this time." That's an exact quote, I guarantee.

I was classified as unfit under current standards (1-Y) but could be called back if standards changed. In 1966, that meant I didn't have to contemplate military service, could finish college and get started on a career. Given my desire to make money and avoid Vietnam, that was good news. The caveat was since I originally had a student deferment, I was eligible for a recall/re-evaluation until age 35 instead of 26 (15 years instead of 6).

Three years later Vietnam was escalating and I was in NYC undergoing a second surgery on the same knee. Afterwards the surgeon told me I might experience degenerative arthritis in later life (prophetic). I asked about my chances of being called up for military service. His response was "if NYC is attacked, you could be drafted to collect tolls on the Triboro Bridge." In 1972, I received a massive envelope from my local Selective Service Board (Ruby Waddell--my Danville friends may remember that name). I waited 3 days afraid to open, fearing the worst. When I finally opened, it advised my status was now 4-F (permanently not eligible). Back then my brother had just returned from Vietnam. I was thankful he was safe and I would not have to worry about it any more.

I think the discipline and dedication to successfully complete military service would have made me a more complete individual without multiple joint replacements. On the other hand I could be below ground with perfectly good joints. Have no idea how things might have played out without a knee injury. 

I respect all who have experienced military service. I also wish our country would increase efforts to more effectively help those who wind up with after effects like PTSD. I also believe military service is much more than defending our country against those who seek to destroy us. It is serving our country in many different capacities, and all who serve deserve respect for their service.

Covid Reflections

Covid is now firmly in my rear view mirror. Last year I practiced protocols, avoiding travel or gatherings, social distancing, masks, etc. While I read and researched the issues, I wondered how much of what we were told was accurate because there were so many "experts" preaching and the sermons changed over time. I firmly believe the statistics contain a combination of politics and bullshit. I base this on the fact that flu deaths virtually disappeared combined with deaths where the individual tested positive was a Covid death. Many had chronic conditions where Covid contributed to, but was probably not the primary cause. 

Anyway, we seem to be getting over all the scare tactics although many folks still argue about vaccines, masking and other issues. My take:

I am not worried about vaccination rates, it is an individual choice. Get vaccinated, don't get vaccinated, I don't care. I did, but am undecided about a booster.

Wear a mask, don't wear a mask, I don't care.

I  no longer wear a mask in public, but if I go where a mask is required, I put one on. Most medical and hospital facilities still require them along with Atlanta's public transit, airports and flights. Reminds me of my study abroad time in China a few years ago where masks were pretty common. 

I haven't used public transportation yet, but probably will when taking my first trip later this year (flight to Alaska).

Assault Weapons & Mass Shootings

 The first mass shooting I vividly remember was the August 1, 1966 Texas Tower. There were plenty before that, but without the main street media coverage that now exists.. I've known two friends who died as the result of a mass shooting. One involved  an employee termination while the other person was simply in an office where the shooting occurred. 

While there are many elements, I believe 3 primarily contribute to our situation:

The shear number of assault weapons already in the United States along with fairly easy procedures for a person to acquire them. While there are many definitions of an assault weapon, there are millions. We are a well-armed nation, and I am not counting guns in general.

The mental state of most of the individuals who decide to kill multiple random individuals including a willingness to die during or after the event. Both shooters of my friends committed suicide before being apprehended.

Coverage of these by MSM and the divided opinions of individuals over gun rights v gun control.

I do not have a solution because:

With millions of assault weapons already out there, the proverbial horse has already left the barn. Banning assault weapons won't eliminate those, and I suspect asking owners to surrender them would not create a very long line. Given the mind state of many owners aggressively going after them could result in more shootings.

Since most states shut down many mental institutions there are lots of individuals with severe mental problems that do not receive care or counseling. If you don't believe me go start interviewing the homeless. In addition, mass shooters may not show any discernible clues as to their intention.

The United States has a long history of violence dating back to our founding. Duels, old west gun fights , lynchings that continued  into  the 1930s and 40s, protests resulting in violence, etc. We are a divided nation and more prone to employing violent methods to settle disagreement.

Since I do not have a solution, I worry less about being the victim of a mass shooting--or any shooting--than I do about being hit by a car while cycling. 

It's also interesting to note that in the Texas Tower incident,  the shooter had 7 weapons. The closest one to an assault-style weapon was a 30 M 1 carbine rifle. His advantage was location and a multiple variety of rifles to choose from. 

Bill Hicks

 I just learned that my friend Bill Hicks had passed away in April last year at the age of 92. Bill and I had been friends since 1968. Like many long lasting inter-generational friendships, it began through a formal channel and over time became something more. I first met Bill during my early career at Chubb when I was sent to the Atlanta office to work on a 3 month assignment. I was brand new to the insurance business and Bill was the branch office claims department manager. Our departments were next to each other and I probably learned more about insurance policy coverage from him than anyone else. I was sent back to Atlanta in 1970 for several years, and our friendship continued. After several promotions/transfers I returned to Atlanta in 1982, and that's when our friendship and mutual love of cycling and canoeing really became cemented. 

I don't remember the date but Bill and I decided to canoe the Chattahoochee River. Early on A Saturday morning we left a car at the park on Azalea Drive and then had a friend drop us off at Bowman's Island just below the Lake Lanier dam.  As we were preparing to embark we encountered a boy scout troop also planning to canoe the river. The scoutmaster asked how far we were going and when we told him, he then asked where we would be camping since that was too far to canoe in one day. We had only prepared for a day trip and our drop off driver was gone so we had no choice but to head down river. I suppose it was a combination of adrenaline and river water release, but we were done by mid-afternoon. That was the first of many canoe/kayak adventures that Bill and I shared.

In 1984 we decided to register for the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG), which was a week long ride following Sherman's march to the sea. Bill wanted to have his van available, so we indicated we would have it when we registered. When we showed up to start the ride it turned out we had been designated as the only SAG support for the entire ride which consisted of over 300 other cyclists. It worked out fine and I had a chance to cycle several side trips as I was reading a book by Burke Davis on Sherman's March which was a historical account of the route Sherman followed. Like canoeing that was the first of several more BRAG rides and many other cycling adventures.

I left Chubb in 1988 and Bill retired several years later, but our friendship continued. The last time I spoke with Bill was as the pandemic began . We agreed to get together once that was over. During the past year I drove or cycled past the retirement community where Bill lived and kept planning to at least check in with him by phone. The cruelest irony of the pandemic is how it isolates you from friends you don't see constantly. You tend to think, when it's over we'll..... Unfortunately, time can change things.

I will never do another bike ride or a canoe/kayak trip without remembering how valuable that relationship was for me. Godspeed, Bill Hicks.

2020 Georgia Election Results

My overwhelming initial reaction to the Georgia January 5th senate run off was relief that campaign ads are gone. $800 million bought a lot of mud slinging. I was not enamored with any of the four candidates. I believe the Republican candidates ran to continue lining their own pockets. Ossoff has his sights on much higher offices, and will probably sell out to whoever he thinks will help him achieve that. I'm not sure about Warnock so I will reserve my opinion for now. I am super skeptical of political ad content, but Warnock's were clearly better than the other three.

Several factors led to Georgia turning blue. While demographics were important, I believe Trump's behavior was the catalyst that tipped the scale between November and January particularly in the Perdue/Ossoff race. I also believe that if Trump had been even semi-diplomatic during his presidency, he would have easily won re-election. His comments/tweets during the riot on January 6th were as always all about his ego.

As a log time skeptic of both the democratic and republican parties, I hoped republicans would win at least one of the Georgia races just to maintain some degree of checks and balances. The fact that Ossoff has generated a huge campaign war chest over the past few years despite his background leads me to think he has a lot of people/organizations in his pockets--and many of them have little interest in serving Georgians or other citizens.   

The January 6th Capitol Hill chaos could lead to a civil war that many predict might occur. I wasn't around for the the first one in 1861, but like then our country seems very divided and angry right now. Upon reflection, January 6th was not the start. The protests over the past few years over a variety of issues have often led to violence. Now some folks are creating unrest over a presidential election. That hasn't happened since Abraham Lincoln was elected. I guess history can repeat itself. Hopefully the last shot of this uprising has been fired, but things remain uncertain.

I consider local and state elections more important than presidential elections. Nevertheless, I have voted in 14 presidential elections since becoming eligible. I've only voted democratic or republican on two rare occasions a candidate terrified me (Nixon, 1968 and Dukakis, 1988). The other 12 were for third party candidates based on my opinion that first, America should have more than 2 candidate choices and second, whoever is president does not make that much difference in the long term. The second reason began to change in 2016 with Trump and Hilary as candidates. At the start of campaigning there were a lot of candidates, even a few I felt inclined to consider. In the end it was the same old thing, so I voted for Gary Johnson.

When Trump won, I was willing to give him a chance since he was a true political outsider and I thought he would shake things up in Washington. He sure did, but over 4 years, not the way I thought it should be handled. As mentioned above Trump's personality and character flaws ultimately cost him what could have been a second term, and his post-election actions have "trumped" any chance he will pull off a Grover Cleveland in 2024.  He virtually erased his legacy paraphrased by Kimberly Strassel (Wall St Journal columnist) as a one-term disrupter-- elected to let Washington know many Americans were fed up with "business as usual."

Perhaps the divisions, particularly within the republican party, will eventually create a viable third major party so we have more presidential choices on actual election day. I am not adverse to infighting among democrats either. However, it needs to be handled much more diplomatically than has been done previously. I do hope Washington--along with politicians and citizens--get the message that it is now time for positive change.