Today will be a “two-for” since May 4th is Leah’s 70th birthday. I will be taking the family to dinner and a little celebration so I doubt I will be up to writing tomorrow evening.
Quote of the Day: “Until now, a leak of this kind would have been unthinkable. The protocol of our highest court has been seriously ruptured. The leaking itself reflects another sad step toward casting the court as a political body, which, whatever your preferred jurisprudence, is most unhealthy for the rule of law.” Peter G. Verniero, a former justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.
I am disappointed with yesterday’s leaking of information from the Supreme Court. It is the first time that I can recall that information from the Supreme Court was leaked prior to the decision being officially finalized. The discussions that occur behind the closed doors of the Supreme Court are too important to be leaked prior to a decision being made. The debates that occur are the strength of the Supreme Court, whether we like the outcome or not. Knowing that the issues were thoroughly debated has always made me have a believer in the Supreme Court. The leaking of information, especially when it includes who voted for and against, seems politically motivated and it puts the nine justices in a position where they cannot change their votes even if they wanted to. When it involves a controversial subject, a leak can be used to influence upcoming elections which might otherwise not have been influenced depending on the timing of the official release. The leaking of preliminary information from institutions such as the Supreme Court or the Federal Reserve is leaked prior to it being finalized is a sign of big trouble for this country. It means that people within those institutions no longer respect the institution they represent, instead they represent their own self-interest.
In addition to being Leah’s birthday, tomorrow May 4th, is the 52nd anniversary of the death of four Kent State University students who were killed by members of the Ohio National Guard during a protest of the Vietnam War. It was an event, that changed the direction of the political climate in this country. It led to protests throughout the country on college campuses, including a major one at EMU when I was a freshman. My dorm was teargassed many times and if we went outside to escape the teargas we were arrested for breaking curfew. Kent State is an event that we must not forget. Fortunately, it was memorialized in the song “Ohio”, written by Neil Young and performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. See my two Videos of the Day.
I should be giving an Orchid to the Michigan state legislature and Governor Whitmer for a bill Monday the governor signed that requires state boards to begin recording their meetings and releasing the audio or video files under open records requests. The governor and legislature want us to believe this is a major step in transparency. I am not buying what is being sold. When you are last of 50 states in transparency, this new requirement is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. We are still sinking and failing the citizens.
I have received a lot of positive feedback about my blog yesterday on the problems this country is facing with the behavior of parents, fans, and coaches toward sports officials in youth sports. As I was doing my research, I was surprised to find out Michigan has not passed any laws specifically protecting sports officials, as has been done in 18 other states. After the soccer referee was killed by a participant in a Dearborn adult recreation league game a few years back, I thought Michigan passed legislation specifically protecting sports officials. Unfortunately, it was never finalized. Thus, I am now starting down a path to make it happen. Who knows where it will lead me? I am in the process of setting up a conversation with Ronnie Peterson, the State Rep from the Ypsilanti area. I already have a few volunteers and more will be needed. If interested in helping, please let me know. I will provide periodic updates on how it is going.
My good friend Dan Mausolf, a fellow basketball official and former green’s superintendent at Radrick Farms Golf Course, has notified me of a silent auction for MSU’s turf research program, which is one of the best in the world. The auction will run from now until May 8. There are many great golf courses in Michigan who have donated rounds to the auction. If you are interested in participating and playing on a course you may not normally play, this is your opportunity. I will keep this link on my blog until May 8.
https://app.galabid.com/teetimes4turf2022/items
Pray for peace and tolerance. What are you doing to stop the violence? Get vaccinated and get your booster.
Orchid of the Day: Leah, the smartest and most beautiful 70-year-old I know.
Onion of the Day: The person or persons who leaked the information from the Supreme Court.
Questions of the Day: If we cannot trust the integrity of the Supreme Court, is there any branch of government that can be trusted?
Video/Song of the Day: A two-for
Ohio, by Neil Young
Ohio, performed by Steven Stills and Venice