LONG LIVE A FREE PRESS

 

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” Think of the consequences – the loss of our very freedom. It’s why one can easily find a plethora of quotes that associate the bedrock of our democracy with a free, unfettered press.

Yet here we are – again. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I’ve addressed this subject, and I fear that it may not be the last – unless we refuse to accept what’s being imposed upon us by the Trump Administration.

And that’s exactly what happened at the Pentagon just a few days before the filing of this article. We fought back!

Last month, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s press office outlined new rules requiring Pentagon beat reporters to sign a pledge not to obtain or use unauthorized material, even if the information is unclassified. Any journalist who didn’t sign the pledge would be at risk of losing access to the Pentagon. Obviously, it’s a reporter’s job to question virtually everything and use every source legally available to find the answers, not only at the Pentagon but everywhere. So, in other words, he asked them not to do their jobs.

And as a fellow journalist, I’m very proud to say that it went over like the proverbial lead balloon.

On Wednesday, October 15^th, at 4pm, approximately 50 journalists MADE news by standing up from their desks at the Pentagon in an act of ultimate defiance, leaving everything behind including their Pentagon press credentials, and exited the building. These people were of all ages and genders, some long-time professionals, others early in their careers. Each had something to lose by this bold move. But it had to be done. Any journalist worth his credentials knows that to lose one’s integrity is to lose everything. And they weren’t having it.

Virtually every major news outlet participated in the protest. One expected the likes of CNN, MSNBC and the networks to lead the way, but even FOX, Hegseth’s former employer, and conservative Newsmax joined in. The only outlet to not participate was the ultra-conservative OAN. In fact, it has been reported that of the approximately 100 press people who work at the Pentagon, only 15 signed the pledge.

Now, there are some who may see this as a flawed action, saying, “Well if there’s no one there to report on them, hasn’t Hegseth really won?” In response to questions like that, the Pentagon Press Association issued the following statement:

“The Pentagon Press Association’s members are still committed to reporting on the U.S. military. But make no mistake, today, Oct. 15, 2025, is a dark day for press freedom that raises concerns about a weakening U.S. commitment to transparency in governance, to public accountability at the Pentagon and to free speech for all.”

But through the darkness, we saw a ray of light and that light came in the form of resistance to tyranny. It’s happened before and we pray that it will continue as long as is necessary. Reporters are used to obstacles, both physical and psychological. It’s our job to overcome and resist by speaking truth to power. We must act as a voice to the voiceless. Like Horatius at the bridge, the press must not yield to the constant attempts by this Administration to wear away at our essential freedoms. Because without a free press, we are in danger of losing EVERYTHING.

“Freedom of conscience, of education, of speech, of assembly are among the very fundamentals of democracy and all of them would be nullified should freedom of the press ever be successfully challenged.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The Great Dictator

 

Last night while channel serving, I was thrilled to stumble onto Charlie Chaplin’s brilliant 1940 anti-war, anti-fascist satire, The Great Dictator on TCM. It was near the end of the film that features one of the greatest soliloquies in movie history. Chaplin in the dual role of a Jewish barber mistaken for a fictional dictator, Adenoid Hinkel, takes obvious aim at satirizing Adolph Hitler. With the barber subbing for Hinkel, Chaplin rants, raves, and bungles his way to the film’s dramatic ending when Hinkel is to deliver a signature speech to a massive gathering of his sycophants and soldiers. Expecting a Hitleresque diatribe extolling the virtues of his leadership and the power of fascism, Chaplin instead delivers a powerful statement about peace, equality, brotherhood, and universal justice.

In other words, the Jewish barber portraying Hinkel clearly shows how REAL leaders are made, how even in the face of brutality, men of integrity find a way to inspire others.

This brings me to my thoughts on OUR current leader, President Donald J. Trump.

In a string of how low can you go acts and statements from the very beginning of his candidacy, Mr. Trump has demonstrated an uncanny ability to find a way to lower an already pitifully low bar. In my mind, it began with his mocking of a disabled reporter and has continued unabated ever since. And, just when you thought it couldn’t GO any lower, Mr. Trump has set a new standard for abhorrent behavior from a President of The United States, i.e. The Most Powerful Man on Earth.

Using the latest AI technology, a video depicts the President in a fighter jet, facing us with a crown literally on his crash helmet. He then maneuvers the plane over huge crowds in the streets below – all with Kenny Login’s “Danger Zone” blasting in the background. The video cuts to the crowd where we can now see they were protestors from the days “NO KING” demonstrations. As the jet streaks into a strafing position, a stream of what appears to be liquid excrement flows from the planes bomb bay doors and explodes on contact with the people below.

Let me simplify the message: The President of the United States just shit all over the American people simply for exercising their sacred 1^st Amendment right to peaceably assemble and express their wishes! From THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD? It’s vile, unconscionable, despicable, unacceptable and completely INDEFENSIBLE.

But, of course, his reprobates sure tried.

On of the more common defense strategies was to claim that Mr. Trump did not make the video. Really? No kidding. He doesn’t have the technical skills to make it. But he sure had the will and power to approve it! And he not only approved it, but he also loved it. When asked about the video during a press conference, Speaker Mike Johnson, smirked and said something to the effect that after all, the President is one of the greatest ever in using social media. Really? THAT’S how you would attempt to defend the indefensible? It’s become a pitiful show of weak-minded men AND woman who continue to support an increasingly unhinged leader.

Still even though the President continues to show disdain for the rule of law and the Constitution, nearly half of all Americans polled still support him. The latest polls put his approval rating at 45.5%, a number higher than those in first term and higher still that Joe Biden’s. I don’t get it.

When Mr. Trump first entered politics, many people saw him as an antidote for a rigged political system. I get that, at least in the beginning. What I didn’t understand then and has become even more amplified now is in addition to his assaults on our Constitution, how can one look past his plethora of character flaws? I mean it’s gotten to the point where he’s literally crapping not only over people, but the Constitution itself.

I’ve never let that happen. And I never will.

 

 

 

 

SILENCE IS NOT AN OPTION

 

Words and photo by F LoBuono

Authoritarian regimes, dictators, despots are often, but not always, fools. But none is foolish enough to give perceptive, dissident writers free range to publish their judgments or follow their creative instincts. They know they do so at their own peril. They are not stupid enough to abandon control (overt or insidious) over the media. Their methods include surveillance, censorship, arrest, even slaughter of those writers informing and disturbing the public. Writers who are unsettling, calling into question, taking another, deeper look. Writers – journalists, essayists, bloggers, poets, playwrights – can disturb the social oppression that functions like a coma on the population, a coma despots call peace, and they stanch the blood flow of war that hawks and profiteers thrill to. “PERIL” by TONI MORRISON 

Rockland resident, Pulitzer AND Nobel Prize winner, Toni Morrison (1931-2019), wrote that in 2008. Obviously, she sensed the gathering storm of fascism that thrives on silence. Despite protestations to the contrary, it has come closer to reality on an almost daily basis. Under the leadership of President Trump and his Administration, a purge of ANY voice that he and his cadre of supporters deem uncomplimentary to the President has begun. 

 

These voices include not only journalists (my ilk) personally but all the content creators in the media outlets they represent.  In addition, they have promised to attack bloggers, poets, essayists, and even comedians whose whole profession is based on finding humor in ALL things!

 

Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) famously wrote “the medium is the message” in 1964. From this it is implied that whoever controls the media controls the message and, therefore, the PEOPLE. This, of course, is right out of The Fascism 101 Handbook. Dictators have employed this tactic since the beginning of time. And now, under this Administration, it has accelerated.

 

Mr. Trump has recently used his power and influence as President to force both CBS and ABC to capitulate to his demands. In addition to winning large monetary settlements from both media outlets, he got them to make major concessions in both their programming and personnel.

These changes included the eventual cancellation of CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, even though it is the #1 rated late night talk show and recently won an Emmy. There are two important factors to note here: 1. Stephen Colbert is an outspoken critic of Mr. Trump, often spending his entire monologue lampooning him. 2. CBS/Paramount needed Federal Communication Approval (FCC) to complete a multi- billion-dollar merger with another media company. 

 

Of course, we know that the FCC answers only to President Trump, so it’s not difficult to connect the dots. Virtually the same scenario occurred recently at ABC with the suspension of their late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel. After a rather banal comment about the murder of conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, a close friend of the President, ABC suspended Kimmel indefinitely. Mr. Trump is also often the target of Mr. Kimmel’s humor. It should be noted that Disney/ABC was ALSO in the process of closing another multi-billion merger deal. And guess who they needed approval from to make that happen? Yup, the FCC. 

 

It’s not hard to see what this is. This is the behavior of a criminal organization, not that of the most powerful nation on earth. It’s called putting the strong-arm on someone. As quoted in the film, “The Godfather” Trump made them an offer they couldn’t refuse – play ball or no deal! Even ardent Trump supporter Ted Cruz used a quote from another organized crime film, “Goodfellas”, to criticize the President.

 

But it’s not just the Big Guys they’re going after. It’s you and I, too. In fact, I’m sensing a palpable fear within the writing and publishing community. It’s as if instead of writing with a completely free and clear conscience, I’m now writing as if someone is looking over my shoulder – and not in a good way. This, of course, is anathema to a free society.

 

As a journalist I have always been a huge proponent of the 1^st Amendment. In fact, I find it sacrosanct. It is the FIRST Amendment for a reason. In my mind, none of the others could exist without it. I certainly have my point of view and until now, I’ve never had one moment of hesitation to express it. And, even if I am critical of another’s POV I would NEVER deny them the right to have and express it. THAT’S what made America great in the first place and will Make America Great Again. 

 

Remember, Democracy dies in silence. *

 

*Washington Post

 

ONE SMALL ACT

 

On another one of my frequent sojourns into the heart of the village of Nyack, I walked past an older woman sitting in front of one of the Main Street stores. I find her there frequently. Very petite, she showed the wear and tear of living what must be a hard life. She was painfully thin, had just a few teeth left and carried her meager possessions in a couple of ragged shopping bags. Perhaps she’s homeless. Yet, despite her hardships, I generally find her smiling and laughing with the others in her close circle of companions at the store.

On this day, she spotted me as I was walking by and blurted out, “hey, mister! I love your hat. Give it to me!” As is my custom, of course I was wearing a hat. It’s my thing. This one was just an old, beat up, straw pork pie style that I had for so long that I don’t even remember where I had gotten it from. Still, it was BECAUSE of all the miles on it that it was one of my favorites. So, I responded, “it’s my only one.” She quickly replied, “no it ain’t!” I had no idea how she knew that, but she was right; it’s not my only one. In fact, I’m known as a lid guy, i.e. I’m almost always in possession of some type of chapeau.  I have MANY. But it was ONE of my favorite hats, so I kept walking.

I must have gotten about a block away when I turned around to go back. My conscience was nagging me. She was right – it WASN’T my only hat. Besides, I could always find another. I HAD to turn around. So, when I saw her sitting in the same spot, I approached her and said, “this must be your birthday because this hat is now yours” as I placed it on her head. You should have seen the smile break out on her face! The hat was indeed perfect, fitting her way better than me. She simply couldn't stop smiling and giving me a hardy thumbs-up. It obviously made her day.

In subsequent journeys into the heart of the village I’ve encountered her several times, sometimes with the hat on, sometimes not. But every time that I do see her I inquire about it, and she always replies with a huge smile and a BIG thumbs-up saying, “I still have it and LOVE it!”

It was such a simple gesture. The hat had no real value except perhaps a sentimental one to me. Yet, to her, it meant everything. It made her joyful. What could be better than that? You see, my friends, it’s not necessary to save the WHOLE world. That’s a goal that no human being can accomplish or should even be tasked with. The very thought of it can overwhelm even the deepest thinker. Instead, it’s the little, daily acts of anonymous kindness that truly make the world go ‘round. No one has to see, hear, or even acknowledge these small deeds for them to be effective. Individually they might not seem like much, but collectively they are Mighty.

At the Nyack Street fairs, there is a group of volunteers that hold large soup pots out to collect donations for a local food kitchen. They are appropriately named The Soup Angels. Whenever I see them, I give them a dollar donation - just one $ and I say, “it’s not much, but think about it: there’s 15-20,000 people here today. If everyone gave just $1, by the end of the day, how many people could you feed?”

It’s simple. We may not be able to give much but virtually ALL of us can give a little. And it doesn't have to be just money. It can be time donated to a worthy cause, or a small act of kindness like bringing someone some real joy from an old, beat-up hat. We need it now, more than ever.

 

 

PRINCIPAL FINDS A PRICE

 

Hmmm. Let’s see. the Trump Administration sues the Paramount Corporation, the parent company of CBS, for $20 billion (yes, that’s BILLION) on a bogus charge claiming that the legendary CBS 60 Minutes program had deliberately used deceptive editing techniques to make then Presidential candidate Kamala Harris more appealing. I have already written in this publication about my position detailing why I believe that charge is completely illegitimate. Yet, despite protestations from the journalists at 60 Minutes and beyond, Paramount basically CAVED into Mr. Trump’s demands and settled with him for a mere $16 million. “This settlement allows Paramount to focus on its prospective sale, and CBS can maintain its principles,” said C. Kerry Fields, a business law professor at the USC Marshall School. “But principle has its price, and there certainly was one set here.” * More on the prospective sale in a minute.

Then, Paramount announces the cancellation of its long running and #1 rated late night talk show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert citing financial considerations. Of course, none of the executives at Paramount would bother to mention that Colbert uses a very particular AND popular brand of humor to regularly poke fun at the President. Mr. Trump has made NO secret of his dislike of Mr. Colbert or his sense of humor. Colbert and a plethora of other late-night personalities and media celebrities came together and challenged the REAL reason why the show was canceled.

Well, after 8 months of intense pressure from the White House, the prospective sale mentioned above by Dr. Fields, i.e. the purchase of Paramount by Skydance Media in the amount of $8 billion finally went down. It seems that the sale was exacerbated by the fact Shari Redstone and her family, the majority owners of CBS, are deeply in debt.

So. why is the timing of all this significant? Well, it seems that since both entities are media companies the sale would require the approval of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). And who basically controls the FCC? That’s right, one Donald J. Trump. And, without making HIM happy, it simply wasn’t going to happen.

It doesn’t take a 60 Minutes journalist to fathom how dangerous this is. And it’s just beginning; more purges have been promised. It’s so important to understand that whoever controls the media controls the message and, therefore, the people. Malcolm X once said: “The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” The fact that this administration has severely cut back if not eliminated Federal funding to local PBS Stations is further evidence of Mr. Trump and his administration’s desire to control the message by eliminating ANYONE who might speak against him. THIS MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.

I am usually reluctant to compare American politics with that of Nazi Germany. It often simply leads to more division and hate. However, if it is appropriate then it must be said. In my research for this article, I found this. It’s the Wikipedia entry for Joseph Goebbels: Goebbels, who aspired to be an author, obtained a doctorate in philology from the University of Heidelberg in 1922. He joined the Nazi Party in 1924 and worked with Gregor Strasser in its northern branch. He was appointed Gauleiter of Berlin in 1926, where he began to take an interest in the use of propaganda to promote the party and its program. After the Nazis came to power in 1933, Goebbels's Propaganda Ministry quickly gained control over the news media, arts and information in Nazi Germany. He was particularly adept at using the relatively new media of radio and film for propaganda purposes. Topics for party propaganda included antisemitism, attacks on Christian churches, and (after the start of the Second World War) attempts to shape morale.

This is NOT hyperbole!  And I hate being a harbinger of doom, but if we do not act and stop this now, it will become our reality.

 

 

 

*https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2025-07-04/paramount-trump-60-minutes-settlement-how-deal-got-done

A CONEY ISLAND MEMORY

 

 HOT POTATO KNISHES, ICE COLD COKES HERE!

 

Words and photos F LoBuono

Every summer, when we were kids, my mother would pack up my older sister, my little brother, and me for our annual 2 week vacation at Coney Island. Since we lived in Jersey, the great majority of my friends went down the shaw, while we headed for Brooklyn. You see, my mother, Stella, grew up just a mile or so from the Boardwalk there and her family (and, our cousins) still lived in the same place. And, despite our protestations, there was no escape with Stella's reasoning for going always logical and never changing: I'm not sure what you guys are complaining about - same ocean!

So, usually in mid-August, while my father stayed in Fort Lee to work and he couldn't drive us there (he ALWAYS picked us up), Stella loaded us on the subway for the nearly 2 hour journey, and off to The Promised Land we went.

Truthfully, it really wasn't bad after all. In fact, we had a blast. My cousins where there and so was the beach. My grandmother's place was an old classic Brooklyn townhouse located on Ave.W, right between Ocean Parkway and Coney Island Avenue. And, of course, in Italian tradition, my cousins' family lived only about a block away. Every morning for the 2 weeks we where there, we packed a cooler of wonderful, fresh food, soft drinks, grabbed a beach blanket, an umbrella, and some beach chairs to make our pilgrimage down Ocean Parkway to the beach entrance at Bay 7th St.

One of my strongest memories was hitting the cool sand under the boardwalk that awaited us at the end of our long and hot journey down Ocean Parkway. I remember taking off our sneakers right away so that we could feel the moist, fresh sand between our toes. We ran squealing from the relative darkness and cool air provided by the shade of the boardwalk and into the blazing sun and scorching sand that we now felt under our feet. We ran as fast as we could to the water to dunk our toes in the chilly, refreshing ocean!

After a quick dunk, we staked our claim to some prime beach real estate. This was essential in the summer as the beach quickly filled up with thousands of other families. Let's face it, no one would ever mistake Coney Island for some deserted atoll! Eventually, we all settled into our beach routines - body surfing, swimming, beach combing, and the occasional trip to the boardwalk.

 

At some point, we settled in to eat lunch, usually lovingly prepared by my grandmother. After lunch, if we were particularly well-behaved, a special treat for dessert was waiting for us: an authentic Coney Island Potato Knish! Now, these were no ordinary potato knishes! They were purchased from a figure that, to me, was every much a part of Coney Island as Nathan's Famous. I never knew his name but he was there EVERY DAY, walking the entire length of the beach, over and over again, bare-chested, a shock of grey hair blowing in the sea breeze while he called out in a melodic voice: Hey, get your hot potato knishes - ice cold Cokes - HERE! And, it was always with the same cadence, pausing slightly before he finished we a flourish - HERE!

When we heard his booming voice as he made his way up the beach, we ran to whomever was chaperoning us that day to beg for money - a knish was $.50 and a Coke $.25. My mom or one of my aunts would give us enough money so that all of us could have a knish and a coke. We surrounded him like a pack of wolves might their prey. While we jumped for joy around him, he placed his 2 heavy sacks on the sand to deliver his bounty: one bag for the knishes which were served in a cellophane wrapper and one filled with dry ice to keep those Cokes ice cold. Of course, he always had extra deli mustard to slather those knishes in!
 

After eating our fill and exhausting ourselves in AND out of the water, we packed up our belongs for the long walk back to Ave. W. And, as Stella always says, "tomorrow is another day". Little did we know how those tomorrows would change. And, they did - adulthood, responsibility and the like replaced the care free days of Hot Potato Knishes and Ice Cold Cokes. But, the memories can never truly be forgotten.

 

For The Love of AC

 

Words and photo by F LoBuono

We just weathered the first heatwave of the season, i.e., 3 or more consecutive days of temperatures above 90 degrees. At least one of them was record setting with all of them reaching heat indexes near or above 105 degrees. In other words, it was hot – damned hot.

I tend to enjoy hot weather. It suits my dark complexion and Sicilian ancestry. So, I adapt easily to the extremes of heat. But it can get too intense (like it did in those days) even for me. That’s when you must use common sense and take the necessary precautions to avoid the potentially devastating effects that kind of intense temperature can cause. These include drinking plenty of water, limiting time outside especially in the sun, wearing sunscreen when you must be out, and spending time cooling off in an air-conditioned room.

Like most people of my generation, I remember a time when air-conditioning was a luxury, not the absolute omnipresent necessity it is today. Schools were not air conditioned. Nor libraries. Nor cars. It was considered such a luxury that when a place DID have AC it was one of the first things mentioned in their advertising. I certainly remember going to the movie theater to see movies that I didn’t necessarily even like just to spend a blisteringly hot summer afternoon in THEIR air conditioning!

One of the reasons for that is because we only had one air-conditioner in our house – the whole house. It was this gigantic unit that every year my father and I hauled out of the garage in the Spring to install in my parent’s window and returned it the same way in the Fall. The reason it wound up in my parents’ window was twofold: first, it WAS their house. And, secondly, my father suffered with extreme asthma. Hot, humid nights could prove deadly to him. So, it was more than a luxury. It was an absolute necessity. But we could only afford to actually buy and run one. Still, being the tight-knit family we were, we came up with the perfect solution: my older sister, younger brother and I pulled the mattresses and blankets off our beds and piled them all around our parents’ where we all slept blissfully and, most importantly, cooly, through the night.

As a kid I clearly remember taking trips down the Westside Highway into NYC with my parents and passing all of the tenement buildings with people sleeping on balconies and roof tops in a desperate attempt to beat the heat. The great majority of them had no sign of any air conditioning anywhere. My mother always remarked with empathy, saying “those poor people” even though we were not that much better off.

You know, I never forgot that. Even today as I sit in the AIR  CONDITIONED office in my house with its Central Air-Conditioning unit that pumps cool air day and night around the entire place, I take a moment to reminisce about that time when life may have been simpler but certainly was not without its challenges. And I think about all of the people who are less fortunate than me and may be struggling in front of a fan or with no means to cool off at all.

I feel like it’s important to acknowledge that we live in extraordinary times where, for most of us, the essentials of life are available to us at our very fingertips. Flip a switch and there is light. Turn on your computer and a world of information awaits. Move a lever and clean water (hot and cold) is instantly there. I think that’s the REAL meaning of privilege. Sure, some see it in its extreme sense, i.e. wealth and power. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. Most of us have the means to live lives of relative comfort and stability - most, but not all.

So, don’t take simple things for granted. Instead use them as a catalyst to create empathy for those who may lack even the things we consider the most basic for human comfort and dignity. Like a good night’s sleep in a clean, air-conditioned room.

 

MEMORIAL DAY REFLECTIONS 2025

 

F LoBuono

Another Memorial Day has come and gone. My feelings towards that day, which have always been profound, have become even more so. They have certainly evolved and deepened over the years and continue to. And, in some ways, that evolution has brought me to a place of emotional conflict.

First, as is the case with most things in our overly commercialized society, the day has become literally a holiday filled with barbeques, beer, and a 3 day weekend for most. Throw in a parade with some fire engines, loud motorcycles, vintage military vehicles, a marching band or 2, some grey-haired men walking stiff-legged in old, ill-fitting uniforms, flags flying and we’ll call it a celebration. Instead, it was to intended to be solemn day when we take the time to honor those who have fallen in one the many armed conflicts this Country has endured in its 250 year history. The loss of any human being is NEVER an ultimate cause for celebration, especially of those taken in wars not of their own doing.

The challenge for me is in finding a way to honor these people who have made the ultimate sacrifice while at the same time not glorying what took them in the first place, i.e. war. You see, in an effort to rightfully acknowledge the depth of what it means to fall in conflict, there is a danger of romanticizing the use of violence as a means to a just end – ANY end. For example, there is a plethora of Hollywood movies praising the efforts of the Allies to defeat the Nazis and Fascists in WWII. Of course, our victory over such an evil foe is rightfully seen as just and necessary. But we must NEVER forget the terrible toll war takes, not only on the vanquished but on the victors as well. My father and uncle, both WWII combat veterans and proud members of The Greatest Generation, frequently suffered with the symptoms of PTSD.

I also think of 2 other friends who were combat veterans not taken IN war but BY war. And that war was Vietnam. Having seen the horrors of jungle warfare thousands of miles from their homes, all for a cause that was hard even for THEM to justify, proved too much to bear. Both died by their own hands years after their service, one by suicide and the other to a drug overdose. Both were among the finest men I have ever known.

And there is no shortage of other violence being committed in just causes all over the world. Without taking sides for this article, one just need to look to the Middle East and Gaza to see the horrors of war – with both sides claiming the so-called Moral Justification for slaughtering one another!

When will it end? How can it end?

For me, it will be when we stop glorifying violence as a means to end. ANY violence. And we see it not only on a grand scale, i.e., among nations, but within individuals too. The most recent examples are the wanton murders of an insurance executive in New York City and of a young Jewish couple in Washington, D.C. Both accused murderers have professed that these killings were in response to “larger, social issues” and they were justified in their actions. Furthermore, others (many) agree that their actions were necessary in a bigger picture sense. Some have even see them as “heroes” or “liberators”.

Really?

These people are not to be congratulated or lauded! They are cold-blooded killers whose actions CANNOT be justified on ANY level. There can be no positive outcomes associated with such actions. There is only the deaths of innocent people.

Yet even as we speak of the horrors of war, conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and too many other places around the world are raging. Some are fighting for their freedom, others their particular ideology, or religion. Whatever the case may be, each side sees their own justifications for their own causes (think Dylan’s “With God On Our Side”).

It has gotten to the point where I question whether violence is inherent in our very DNA. Is it within our nature to resort to violence to achieve our goals? I am certainly not the first one to debate this as an issue. Others more highly qualified than me have attempted to answer this question. However, I must think that despite our base nature, we are also capable of sublime thought. This is what many eastern philosophies refer to as mindfulness, i.e. a state of awareness that we are all part of a greater whole that allows us to reach a inner peace and wholeness that radiates from our very core. But this takes effort and an unshakable belief that love, in the end, does indeed conquer all. And we must not have fear in our conviction to peace.

Resist violence in all forms. Understand that anger is a real emotion. NO human lives without it. However, acknowledge it and then place it where it belongs. I use this as my guide. It is attributed to Gandhi:

“An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.”

 

Born Different

 

F LoBuono

I was born left-handed. I had no choice in the matter, it just was. As simple as that seems to most, it does qualify me as just a little bit different. Only about 10% of the world’s population uses their left hand as their dominant one. That MAKES you different than “most.” And I was keenly aware of that from a very young age.

Right from the beginning, even ordinary tasks were more difficult for me because it is such a right-handed world. Some of the simplest things could confound me. Scissors, soup ladles, notebooks and so many more items are all made to be used most effectively with the right hand. Because I just could not use these tools effectively, working with them was often a frustrating experience. It made me feel uncoordinated and awkward. And to make matters worse, people were always around to make sure that I was reminded of that! Even writing is more difficult for lefties. As a right-handed person puts pen to paper, the words appear AS you write them down. We “lefties” must use that weird bend at the elbow as we create our script. Otherwise, our hand covers the words so that we can’t actually SEE what we are writing and the words wind up all over the page!

As a young man I loved to play baseball. As my birthday is in the Spring, every year my father would take me to a sporting goods store to pick out a new glove for a gift. But when we went to the store, there were hundreds of mitts – for righties – and a few, mostly for 1^st base use only, for lefties. And THAT was because lefties were limited to just pitching, playing the outfield, or 1^st base. The NATURE of the game is to be played mostly by right-handed people.

When I went to college at Rutgers University, I always had to get to the larger lecture hall classes early to make sure that I could get a seat. And, it wasn’t because there weren’t enough of them. In fact, there were hundreds. The issue was that out of those hundreds, only a handful were designed to be used by left-handed people.

Even the very word, “left” has a bad, if not downright evil connotation. It even says so in scripture: Those who are good, a.k.a., the righteous, and sit at the RIGHT hand of good will be exalted. The ones on the left will be cast out. In Italian, as taken from the Latin, the word for left is SINISTRA, i.e., sinister. Hell, lefties even have a shorter lifespan because they die at a far higher rate in accidents. Why? Because they are often out of place in such a righty dominated world.

All these things were always in the back of my mind. Why was I different? Why would people often make fun of my awkwardness? Perhaps I should try to use my right hand more. It sure would be easier.

Then, as a teenager, I read a book that changed that perspective – and life. It was called Lefties. The Origins and Consequences of Being Left-handed by Jack Fincher. Within the pages, the author explained the scientific basis for the dominant use of one side of our bodies over another. Within that science he further explained that because our creative centers our located in the part of the brain that controls left side dominance, many, if not most, of the great Renaissance masters like Leonardo and Michelangelo were left-handed. Many US Presidents in recent memory have been left-handed. Some of our greatest athletes like Babe Ruth are as well. In other words, our difference was not our weakness. Rather, it was a strength – a uniqueness to be admired! And it changed me.

I was no longer awkward in my difference. Instead, I celebrated it. I was PROUD that I was just a little bit different.

I write this in honor of Pride Month and to all my friends and family who are members of the LGBTQ+ community. In the smallest of ways, I understand your struggle, what it is like to be just a bit different. In fact, by most studies the percentage of people identifying as “gay” is about the same as those who are left-handed (7-10%). And I hope that if you haven’t already, you find a book, person, event, or moment that celebrates your difference. And since words matter, let’s change difference to uniqueness. It’s OK to be both. In fact, I kinda’ like it.

 

TAKE PRIDE

 

Words and Photo by F LoBuono

June is PRIDE MONTH when we celebrate out brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, friends and lovers from the LGBTQ+ community. We also acknowledge how far we’ve come together while at the same time realizing how far we have still to go to achieve true, universal acceptance, especially under the very real threats posed by the current administration’s draconian anti-DEI policies.

I am very fortunate to live in a village that not only embraces the LGBTQ+ community but also exalts in their presence. It is no accident that the Phyliss B. Frank Rockland County Pride Center is in that village: Nyack, NY. In fact, we live only a block away. And that mutual admiration and solidarity was never more apparent than this past Sunday, June 8^th, during Nyack’s PRIDE DAY parade and celebration.

The streets of Nyack were filled with joyful, happy, peaceful, REAL people of ALL shapes, sizes and sexual persuasion – ALL kinds of people. And it was wonderful. What a pleasure it was to be in the presence of people who could express themselves fully in a completely safe environment. Yes, the village provided amble and necessary security but within the community present there was not even a hint of violence, resentment OR judgement. It was a palpable feeling of wellbeing, again for EVERYONE.

In addition to the parade that included marching bands, groups expressing their solidarity, people in fantastic (literally) costumes, and, of course, Dykes on Bikes, the streets were lined with vendors offering arts, crafts and useful information. Inspiring, defiant speeches by Rockland County Pride Center Executive Director, Brooke Malloy, and others were given from the village square. But what impressed me most was the fact that so many people could be together in complete peace, harmony, AND joy. EVERYONE was free to be who they CHOOSE to be. And what the hell is wrong with that?

At one point as I was traveling through the festival, I found myself pacing next to Mark Mangan. Mark does an incredible job organizing and coordinating the many street fairs and public events that Nyack has become famous for. I don’t know Mark very well but well enough to know that we share many similarities including our working-class mentality and love of community. Anyway, he was walking briskly and smiling broadly. As we came side by side, I offered my congratulations on another wonderful Nyack event. He said, “thanks” and then added, “isn’t this great?” I replied, “it most certainly is. And the best part is that it’s SO easy!” “Yup, live and let live” was Mark’s response.

We shared a moment that I think so many others also did during that wonderful day; people are just people, and they come in all shapes, sizes, and lifestyles. This is not weakness. Quite to the contrary, our diversity is our strength. People who may choose to look or live on a path different from ours ultimately have NO effect on OUR choice. And that’s yet another reason to support the LGBTQ+ community. It’s not just about them. It’s about us – and the choices we all make. We just need to make sure that we never lose the freedom to do so – on any level or to any person. The Pride flag is a rainbow for a reason. Embrace it.