REICH COMMUNICATIONS

A First for The New York Times...for a Good Reason

When the New York Times chooses to endorse a candidate, they usually use the main editorial column to announce and explain their choice.

But in something I don't recall ever seeing as a reader of the Times for more than 50 years, yesterday's paper devotes the entire 10 pages of the Sunday Review section to making -- effectively, I believe -- the Case Against Donald Trump.

As you can see at the right, the cover page of the section lists several issues with the current White House.  Inside, starting with a two-page spread under the headline "A Man Unworthy of the Office He Holds," The Times lays out a detailed and comprehensive case for Americans to vote the current president out.

This is not based on fake news and speculation.  The paper recognizes that we face a real threat to our precious democracy, which is why it has taken this unprecedented step.

Most of my friends feel as I do, but some may still be wavering or planning to vote Republican.  This election is not about party politics.  It's about more than a single issue like abortion, which I understand is important to many people.  It's about a larger issue -- the very soul of our nation, which reflects to ourselves and to the world who we as a people are.

That's why I ask you to vote him out.

You can read the whole section online here

 

 

 

 

 

What We Do: Promoting Pedestrian Safety

When we talk about traffic safety, we too often forget that pedestrians figure into the equation. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports there were 6,283 pedestrian deaths in 2018 -- more than a 3% increase over the previous year and the most since 1990.  It’s why NHTSA proclaimed October as the first National Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month.

The National Road Safety Foundation, which has been working to make our roads safer for everyone for nearly 60 years, is joining the push to call attention to this growing public safety risk.

Among other efforts, we arranged for virtual TV interviews for our NRSF spokesperson Michelle Anderson.  Here's what aired last night on WSMV-TV, the NBC station in Nashville.  Click here to see the spot.

 

 

The VP Debate

 

 

Last night’s debate was certainly more watchable than the first. 

There was no name-calling or histrionics.  Issues were discussed, to a point.  And both debaters remained civil.

But, like the first debate, there was rudeness and many lies.  The rudeness came from VP Pence, who continuously ignored the moderator’s reminders when he went beyond his allotted time.  And he did interrupt several times, but in a quieter way than the president did last week.  Kamala Harris handled his interruptions by calmly letting him know it was her time and he did stop and let her speak, most of the time.

Both candidates mis-stated some points, but a fact-check shows Pence lied or exaggerated many more times than Harris did.  

Both were guilty of not directly answering questions, but Pence did so many more times than Harris.  He is very smooth at obfuscating.

The highlight of the evening seems to have been the fly that perched itself for a full two minutes on Pence’s head.

When I first saw it, I assumed the fly was on my TV screen.  But then it moved as Pence moved his head, and my full attention went to that fly rather than Pence’s words.  Actually, it was a welcome distraction from the lie he was telling at that moment.

The fly may have gotten more attention on social media that the actual content of the debate.  I saw many comments reminding us what flies are attracted to.  My sister Shari felt Kamala should have smacked Pence in the head, using the fly as an excuse.  And Shane DeBlasio (no relation to New York’s mayor) noted that the fly may be Pence’s only black friend.

A CNN poll showed 67 percent felt Harris won, and 37 percent gave it to Pence.  At this point, the debate may not have changed many minds in terms of who they’ll vote for.  But at least it didn’t cause America’s collective blood pressure to spike, as it did a week ago.

The Debate

 

The first presidential debate last night set off a torrent of tweets, posts and conversations.

Not surprisingly, proponents of each candidate have proclaimed theirs won the debate.  In reality, I believe, neither won and America lost.

What we and, unfortunately, the world witnessed in real time was a president going off the rails, being a bully and doing some very upsetting and concerning things such as refusing to condemn white supremacy and practically calling on his followers to go to the polls to intimidate voters and not necessarily accept the outcome of the election if it doesn’t go in his favor.

As I watched last night, I got upset with both Trump and Biden – Trump for being his usual obnoxious and bullying self and not staying on topic or within the debate rules, and Biden for not being forceful enough on some important points like the president’s response to the pandemic or his failure to pay his fair share of taxes.  It got so bad that we turned the debate off for about 30 minutes and watched a mindless comedy we had DVR’d.

And then, in the aftermath, we saw how the public responded.  Again, I recognize that Trump’s loyalists thought he did well.  But I also saw how so many others – not only Democrats, but undecided and even some thinking Republican voters, were horrified at Trump’s conduct on stage and how so many people responded favorably to Biden’s calm and steady demeanor.

Going forward, IF there are more debates, the debate rules and general decorum must be maintained.  The moderator needs to be much more forceful and, if after one or two warnings there’s still no decorum, the offender’s microphone should be shut off until he gets back to adhering to the rules.  No interruptions on either side, and no childish name-calling.  Such actions demean the entire process and insult the American public.

Peace for a New Year

It's Fall

Superwoman!

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?