REICH COMMUNICATIONS

A New Year

 

Friday at sundown marks the start of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. 

It's not a time to party and celebrate, but rather to reflect on our actions during the past year and ask for guidance and strength to help us be better people in the coming year. 

Traditionally, at this time we pray for a few things -- the wisdom to do better, health, happiness and above all, peace.  One of our key prayers ends with the word "Shalom"  -- Hebrew for 'Peace.'  It is peace of mind, and peace on the larger scale -- peace among people and among nations.  Hopefully, this new year will also bring peace among all of us who call this wonderful nation America home.

Shalom, and Shana Tova... "a good year."

Losers? Hardly.

 

 

How dare he!

Losers? Hardly.  Heroes!

My father, most of my uncles and so many others I know (or don't know) are not losers or suckers.

They answered their country's call to serve, often at great risk.

In the case of my father and uncles, they were all first-generation Americans... sons of immigrants who fled Eastern Europe to make better lives for their children and grandchildren.

My father served in the army for five years, often facing anti-Semitism from fellow soldiers, but he endured and did his job for our country.

My Uncle Irving was a navigator on bombers in the Pacific, and for the rest of this life had crazy nightmares from what we now know as PTSD.

My best friend Mel's dad Abe was an infantryman in the Pacific. He too had nightmares for years after the war was over.

And so many people my age and younger have returned from service damaged... not always physically, but certainly mentally. All in service to this nation we love.  And so many are bravely serving now, throughout the world including very dangerous places where their lives are on constantly on the line.

We know they are not losers or suckers, but Patriots who gave of themselves to keep this great American dream alive. 

Mr. President....How dare you!

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

                      My hero. 

 Pfc Jack Reich, U.S. Army 

A Mess of Our Own Doing

 

David Leonhardt, in his daily “The Morning” online summary for The New York Times raises a jarring thought -- If the United States had done merely an average job of fighting the coronavirus — in other words, if the U.S. accounted for the same share of virus deaths as it did global population — how many fewer Americans would have died?

The answer: about 145,000.

That means the toll of coronavirus deaths in the U.S. would be about 41,000 instead of the horrendous tally of more than 186,000 to date.

Leonhardt reports that no other country looks as bad by this measure. The U.S. accounts for 4 percent of the world’s population, and for 22 percent of confirmed Covid-19 deaths. It is one of the many signs that the Trump administration has done a poorer job of controlling the virus than dozens of other governments around the world.

The specific numbers are only estimates, of course. But those numbers are so large that it’s easy to forget that every single one of that total represents a life – a person who was loved and is now missed.

After the U.S., Brazil and Mexico have the next largest gaps between population share and official death share. But they are countries with less advanced medical systems.

America is the world’s richest country, with vast medical capabilities, and the virus started on a faraway continent. All of which suggests that there was nothing inevitable about the U.S. performance. It is instead a tragic reflection of the country’s failed response.  Our president, in plain sight, repeatedly ignored all the warnings of medical experts. No other affluent country has nearly so big a gap.

Now, reports The Washington Post, the White House is considering the use of a herd immunity strategy, in which a society allows the virus to ran through a population until burning out.  In other words, just give up the fight and another few hundred thousand of us die.  That will do wonders for our economy, won’t it Mr. President?   And Trump’s administration is now about to embark on a $250 million PR campaign to try to convince America that all is ok and it’s time to put down our masks and get back to “business as usual.”   And in the midst of this disastrous health crisis, the president continues to stoke racial tensions by virtually ignoring the reasons for ongoing protests throughout the nation and supporting the white supremacist vigilantes who resort to violence and killing. Ignoring the pleas of local officials, he’s traveling to Kenosha, Wisconsin today to meet with police, but not with representatives of those who are protesting.   Of course, we need to support our police, but we’ve got to accept that some changes need to be made.   The president’s trip is sure to inflame tensions and might even lead to further violence.  But that seems to be his goal.  More “rioting” shores up, in his mind, the case he’s trying to make for law and order, despite the fact that it’s all happening under his leadership. (I use the word “leadership” very loosely here.) What a mess Trump’s America has become.  The answer is simple… vote him out in November.

Whither the king's ratings?

 

The opening night of the Republican National Convention was down in the ratings by nearly 30 percent compared to 2016, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with nearly 3 million fewer viewers than the audience of the first night of the Democrats’ national convention a week ago.

Across the six major commercial networks carrying coverage at 10 p.m. ET — ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC — the Republican convention averaged 15.84 million viewers. The RNC's opening night four years ago drew 22.53 million.

The first night of the Democratic gathering a week ago drew 18.69 million people across the six channels, down 28 percent compared to 2016.

Are some Republicans tiring of the president’s negative and hateful rhetoric? 

Three Years...

Pride

 

I love this country.  I am so thankful that my grandparents, as teenagers around the turn of the 20th Century left their families back in Hungary, Russia and Poland to come here to try to make a better life for their children and grandchildren.

 

I've always been proud to be American, although it saddens me to admit I haven't been quite as proud these past four years.  The president has diminished our stature as a world leader that represents fairness, inclusion and democracy.  Our president has squandered that hard-earned reputation and, in fact, has made this great country an object of pity and derision by many around the world.  And he has sowed division among ourselves, rather than bringing us together.

 

But my feeling of pride has been rekindled as I've been watching the Democrats' virtual convention.  It shows how this wonderful country is not monolithic, but is comprised of a beautiful mosaic of races, beliefs and national heritages, uniquely blended together.  It's reaffirmed my feeling that we are, in fact, our brothers' keeper, building a better life for ourselves and our children, yet working together to make life better for those among us who are less fortunate.

 

So I'm proud to be an American -- even now -- and also proud to be part of a party that pushes for fairness, inclusion, compassion and all the things that make us better people and better collectively as a nation.

 

I hope right-minded people will come out strong in November to bring this 4-year nightmare to an end. It's got to happen if we are to make America great again... great the way it was before Jan. 20, 2016.  And from there, even greater still.

Pete Hamill - Newspaperman

When you think of old-style newspapermen, a few names come to mind...  in New York, those would be Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill.

Pete Hamill, who died today at 85, was more than a newspaper reporter and columnist.  He wrote several books -- fiction and non-fiction, as well as screenplays.

I only recently discovered his non-newspaper writing when I picked up a copy of "Downtown: My Manhattan," an ode to New York that combines history and personal recollections to lovingly describe New York now and years ago.  It was a great read, so I looked for other books by him.

I found and loved "Snow in August," just finished last week "Tabloid City," a murder-mystery set largely in a newsroom, and I'm now almost done with "Loving Women," a 1989 novel about a sailor who returns to the base where he was stationed in the early '50s as an 18-year old kid and where he found the love of his life.  I wonder how much of it is autobiographical, as he did serve in the Navy as young man and was based in Pensacola, where the book is set.

I love his way with words.  They paint pictures that take you into the heart and soul of his characters, even in a non-fiction piece like "Downtown: My Manhattan," where the lead character is New York City.

I look forward to reading more of his books.  I'm sorry he won't be writing more, but thankful for the legacy of words that he's left behind.

                                                      - 30 -

 

 

 

 

A Fitting Tribute to a Good Man

American Treasure

Listen to the Science, not "hunches"

Dr. Anthony Fauci has been, for most Americans, a trusted source of accurate pandemic information, based on science and untainted by political considerations. 

Through all of the White House briefings, which seemed to be mainly a platform for the president's bluster,lies, self-praise and denial, Dr. Fauci spoke with truthful authority.

It shouldn't be surprising -- although it is -- that the president and his minions are now trying to take Dr. Fauci down with incorrect and damaging criticisms, largely by tweet, White House official statements and the president's proxies at FOX News.

This latest craziness is sure to convince some who've been sitting on the fence that the president is truly unfit and not worthy of re-election.  (His base is hopeless -- as he's said, he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue in daylight and they'd still love him.)

But his ongoing denial and inaction has hurt all of us -- healthwise and economically.  His insistence on opening schools, which flies in the face of science and intelligence, is sure to hurt tens of thousands more.

Let's keep listening to the advice of Dr. Fauci and countless numbers of his colleagues in science and medicine who are telling us to move slowly with re-opening.  We need to continue to ignore the ranting of the president and his cronies, no matter how frustrating it may be.

And... wear a mask in public, stay socially distant and be smart.

 

Have a safe Fourth