In my sophomore year of high school, I remember a physics assignment in which groups of us competed to build a bridge out of balsa wood which could withstand increasing weight placed by the teacher.   I recall our teacher pulling out a sample of balsa wood, which created gasps within the entire classroom as we all felt the task was not only impossible to win but convinced that this type of structure, made from this medium would NEVER hold up to any weight whatsoever.

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We were supposed to use our newly gained information on force, energy, and matter. I cannot remember if we won, which means we probably lost, but I will never forget the project and the lessons I take from it now.

Our long term care infrastructure is much like the balsa wood in my classroom.  It is weak, frail, and currently structured in such a way that it cannot bear any additional weight placed on it.  There is no fault that falls on the staff that work in them or the supervisors that oversee them.  They really are doing the best that they can.  The fact that they are sticking with it… a thankless job with little financial rewards, in the face of the biggest social and economic catastrophe any of us have ever seen in our lifetimes, really says a lot.

In many ways, I feel I have no place to speak.  I had stepped out of the direct care business for two reasons, to try to make it better and burn-out.  And this was pre-COVID.  So, I truly have no place to stand in judgment, especially when a family caregiver calls to receive counseling and complains about the care their loved one is receiving.  I can relate to the shortages, the constraints, the frustrating red-tape involved in attempts to make care in long term facilities better.  I also relate to the family: frustrated, unsure of what to do and who to talk to… and now, no idea what is going on because they cannot visit.

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At first, I became angry alongside the caregivers, thinking that the lack of daily visits from family caregivers had created an environment of non-compliance and a lack of accountability.  The “greasy wheels”, so to speak, are gone… so everyone can get lazy, right.  The ultimate expression of “when the mouse is away, the cat will playBut then I started to think further.  These front line workers are under a weight (FORCE) that they never bargained for, working (ENERGY) under a structure (MATTER) that cannot support the added weight of their own fear, anxiety… not to mention lacking PPE, politicized mask-wearing, minimal community resource support, and daily changes in political policy that changes what is and is not safe when caring for others.

The infrastructure that has been under fire for so many years for being a sub-standard alternative to elderly care has really tried their best to emerge from the bad rap.  Yes, there are flaws, issues, and problems within facilities that CAN and SHOULD be addressed internally that would make their promise of good care a reality.  But there are also SO VERY MANY structural issues that limit the industry to what it really can provide,

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and that is not an issue that can be solved under the bridge of the structure. It is the structure itself that needs to be revamped.  And the reality is, it can be done. There are other countries that have taken the “balsa wood” and built (ENERGY) a structure (MATTER) that can withstand the weight (FORCE) of the unpredictable and unknown.  They may be struggling too, but not nearly to the extent that we are.

We as a political-charged society have made decisions by being complacent with the decision-makers.  No action is, in itself, an action.  We are all responsible for where we are. We are all responsible to change what we do not like.

We need to be the “greasy wheels” in lieu of the family caregivers right now. We need to become educated on WHAT is important, WHO is important in making long term care work for those loved ones we care for and WHAT it takes to retain those employees that can make that happen. So, with that being said, excuse the political quote that I am going to encourage you to consider:

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.  

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.  We are the change that we seek.”

– Barack Obama

So, get educated on what is happening and will happen if we do not encourage change for the infrastructure that is literally crumbling beneath the essential long term care workers that are truly doing the best they can with what they were given.  Get out there and VOTE.  Make your voice heard.  Be the Change that you Crave.

 “It’s not the load that weighs you down, it’s the way you carry it.” -C.S. Lewis

I suspect many have read “The DaVinci Code”. It was OK, I thought.

However, one thing that stood out was when the hero, Dr. Robert Langdon, (played by Tom Hanks in the movie, which I thought was a poor choice, but I digress….) is giving a lecture about symbols and points out that the notorious swastika is about 2,500 years old, and used to mean, ironically, “good”.

Then, the Nazis came.

So, in 1930, this symbol that stood for the sun was turned into the most universally recognized symbol of evil.

Think about that for a minute.

For 2,500 years, you could display a swastika, and no one would bat an eye, and now….well, please don’t.

I use this example as a prelude to my main topic, Christopher Columbus.

Most people know the same few facts: He sailed the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria in 1492 to discover the new world.

And a few misconceptions: He did not land in America, he did not set out to prove the world was round. In 1492, people knew that.

The story of Columbus Day in the U.S. is quite interesting.

President Benjamin Harrison declared Columbus Day as a one-time national celebration in 1892, following a lynching in New Orleans where a mob had murdered 11 Italian immigrants.

Now, Italians and lynching are not words commonly seen in the same sentence.

The fact was, Italians were greatly discriminated against at that time, and the designation of this holiday was to give them some element of recognition and a symbol of their community.

However, as the lesson above on the swastika shows us, the meanings of symbols change.

Starting as far back as the 70’s, but more stridently today, it has been pointed out that Columbus, was, well, to be honest, a brutal asshole.

However, I think it is important to see that the SYMBOL of Christopher Columbus, was not the same as the MAN, Christopher Columbus.

Regardless of that fact, due to the current racial unrest, this symbol is being removed from many major cities, primarily to eliminate a potential source of protests and riots.

We are told this is temporary, but, let’s be honest. It’s not.

It’s permanent.

I struggled for a long time over this issue.

Is it fair for a community to be deprived of what has become their defining symbol?

The answer is, it’s NOT fair, however, it’s also not unreasonable given the current tensions.

Now, before the Knights of Columbus come and lynch me, let me add one more thing.

Not long ago, the Simpson’s, a cartoon show on for 30 years, was taken to task for Apu, the Indian minimart operator.

It was felt to be racially insensitive, even though, 30 years ago, it was considered perfectly acceptable humor to pick on stereotypes.

Now, there is pressure for them to change that character.

OK, great, but let me ask you this:

How many movies and shows have you seen where an Italian is represented by:

A) A pizzeria owner who, “talksa lika dis” or

B) A Mafioso?

In fact, the Simpson’s have both of them on their show, and no one gives a shit.

I think this is what upsets Italian Americans, like me, who’s parents are literally “off the boat”, the most.

A symbol of pride is being removed, with nothing to replace it, and we are still, in many ways disrespected.

My solution is we can do one of two things:

A) Choose a new hero, let’s say Galileo and have Galileo day, or

B) Just stop all these days altogether, which, of course means no more St. Patrick’s day.

I don’t know that option B will be very popular, since eliminating a day to get hammered, especially in the times we live in, will not go over too well.

So, I say, go with A. We have a plethora of Italians who contributed to western civilization, and we should be able to find at least one whom we can vet and ensure their are no skeleton’s in his or her closet.

Maybe, even just pick another saint, to compete with the Irish, like, oh, just one at random, St. Joseph.

In Italy, St. Joseph’s Day (on March 19) is also father’s Day. Pretty neat, huh?

So, that’s the bottom line, Christopher Columbus is gone.

And, if someone tells you otherwise-STAYA SKEPTICAL, Capice?

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Rev. Otis Moss, III (pictured right) and his son, Elijah back in 2016 (right)

Before he came a minister, Rev. Otis Moss, III wanted to be a filmmaker. Three decades ago, he started to pursue that passion at Morehouse College. After a career “plot twist”, he put his film making dreams on hold to go into ministry.  As pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, he’s using his time during this pandemic to marry his occupation (minister) with his vocation (filmmaker).

Check out this sermonic film, “Letter To My Son”, which features Rev. Moss’s son, Elijah. (Elijah is a rising sophomore at Morehouse College seeking to be a “Triple Threat” as an Oscar-winning writer/director/ actor.)

This is a story that should be on the news, but the media is spending more time promoting stereotypes. Thankfully, I have a blog where I can promote things like this that really matter. I’m also a filmmaker and love creative portrayals like this. This sermonic film doesn’t just share social problems, but it creates dialogue to help solve problems.

I would love to see a story on this on WCIU’s “The Jam” or ABC World News Tonight. But National Ice Cream Day has more clout in the newsroom.
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First a disclaimer. Jonathan Toews is my all time favorite hockey player. It used to be Bobby Hull, but now it Toews. Hull was a wonderfully talented and charismatic player. His end to end rushes and booming slap slot were a joy to behold. And yet, despite being playing with a number of other great Hawks, he was on only one Stanley Cup. Jonathan Toews, though not as flashy as Hull and perhaps not as talented, has been on three Cup winners. Toews just does what it takes to win. Win a big faceoff. Okay. Go into the corner and dig a puck out? Check. Go to the front of the net and score and ugly goal? Jonathan can do that too. Toews also has the ability to score pretty goals too. He’s a highly skilled guy. Toews is actually the all time NHL leader in shootout goals with 50. Toews’ skill and grit were on full display in the Blackhawks series win over the Edmonton Oilers.

Toews assisted on the deciding goal in Game Four of the Edmonton series after out wrestling a Bear (Ethan Bear to be exact) for the puck from behind the net. In Game Three, Jonathan scored two egregiously ugly goals, but they counted, and propelled the Hawks to a 4-3.

While Toews had a great series, Hawks netminder, Corey Crawford got progressively better as the series wore on. He was great in Game Four. Crawford seems to get better the more work he gets. If he gets into a grove, the Hawks could be a tough out in the playoffs.

Duncan Keith also showed why he was named one of the 100 greatest players in NHL history. Keith played excellent defense and chipped in offensively with four assists. Defensman,Ollie Maatta, kicked in with two goals and two assists and finished with a plus four for the series. The Hawks defense has been suspect for some time, but did pretty well as a group against the Oilers.

The Hawks also had some young guys helping the cause. Matthew Highmore had some lows, but also contributed two big goals. Rookie, Kirby Dach, seemingly can do everything but score a goal. Possibly because he seems to have a pathological fear of shooting the puck. With coaching, and perhaps therapy, I suspect he will overcome that tendency and become a genuine beast.

Dominik Kubalik scored the game winner in Game Four. He’s a tremendous sniper. The Hawks have to resign him. But that’s a story for after the playoffs.

Patrick had four points on a goal and three assists for the series, but seemed relatively low key. That could well change in the next series. Blackhawks playoff hockey is back, and I like it

When I was growing up, we played cowboys and Indians. I always wanted to be on the Indian side because my Daddy would let me put the pheasant feathers, he had from hunting, in my hair.  Now I know that was stereotypical but back then in the 50’s we watched the Lone Ranger, Rifleman, Gunsmoke, and Paladin on TV and that’s all we knew.

When I moved to Chicago as an adult and began working at WGCI I was introduced to the Thyrl Latting Rodeo held at the Amphitheater. I saw my first Black Cowboys and Cowgirls and was totally enamored.  I felt so dumb, not knowing that there were men and women of color that rode, roped, and handled horses, bulls, and cows in that fashion.  Don’t get me wrong, my family is originally from McLemoresville, Tennessee and I have seen my Daddy and uncles ride our mules in the fields, but I never saw anyone with a cowboy hat, jeans, and chaps actually ride a horse like it was their home.

This is the time of year where rodeos, parades, and events that show off the Black Cowboys usually take place but as with everything this summer, COVID has put a halt on so many things.

I ran into a friend of mine named Murdock (no first name), who is one of the Chicagoland Black Cowboys and I talked his ear off asking him all kinds of questions that I had been holding on to for many years.  

Did you know that enslaved black people were the first cowboys? Murdock told me that there are many stories on how the Cowboy came to be. He said that the Spanish knew how to rope, and ride and the enslaved people knew how to gather the cattle on foot.  The Spanish taught the enslaved men how to rope and ride and in turn, the enslaved men taught them how to collect the cattle.

I asked Murdock how the name became synonymous with white men. “From the very beginning they didn’t call the white guy a cowboy, they called him a cattleman from that standpoint, or he just rode horses and horseman. But the word cowboy came from the uses of using slaves, calling them a boy, telling him to get the cows, and then the words were connected together by calling them, cowboys. Throughout history, they began to call everybody a cowboy that rode horses and participated in rodeos and rounding up and herding cattle.”

Some of the famous Black Cowboys were Nat Love, a former slave who went on to become one of the most prominent black men of the west.  

Murdock told me the story that Nat won a rodeo competition in the town called Deadwood by “grabbing a mustang, roped him, saddle him, and got a chance to ride him all within nine minutes. And every time he would rope something, he was always right on target, and that’s why they started calling him Deadwood Dick.”

Bill Pickett was a prominent rodeo performer during his time. He actually invented the “bulldogging” technique, which became known as steer wrestling. 

Pickett traveled the world performing with the Miller Brothers’ 101 Wild Ranch Show alongside the likes of Buffalo Bill, Will Rogers, Tom Mix, and Lucille Mulhall. He posthumously became the first black cowboy honored in the National Rodeo Hall of Fame.

Oh, but there were some pretty awesome female Black Cowgirls who may not be as well-known as the guys.  Mary Fields was best known as Stagecoach Mary. She was the first Black woman to work for the U.S. Postal Service. She was 60 years old when she was hired to carry the mail. She was the fastest applicant to hitch a team of six horses. She drove the route with horses and a mule named Moses. She never missed a day or lost any mail, and that earned her the nickname “Stagecoach.” 

Then you had Cathay Williams. Murdock tells the story, “Cathay who at the time when the civil war, she joined the Union. During that time, they were not given any physicals. So, she had her hair cut. She looked like a man, so they allowed her to get into the military.  It wasn’t until later they finally realized that she was female. She actually fought with them at war and rode horses just like the rest of them did.”

All this history just piqued my interest even more. How do cowboys go from out west to Chicago? Next is part 2 and I will focus on the Thyrl Latting Rodeo and the Black Chicagoland Cowboys.

Until next time keep your EYE to the Sky!

I regret that I just now learned that Cognito Brewery in Merrillville has closed down. The Black-owned, 9-barrel nano had to close down due to COVID-19, and had no retail clients to take up their production. However, their space will be taken over starting next week by Viking Artisan Ales. This production brewer, financed by selling memberships, has been looking for a taproom space for two years. They’ll be hosting a membership drive at their current space, 305 N. Colfax St. in Griffith, IN, Saturday August 15 at 1 pm. Viking plans to open its new taproom space in October.This week in Chicago beer have anniversaries with More, and D and G Brewing.

Monday, August 10

Tuesday, August 11

Wednesday, August 12

Thursday, August 13

Just a few years ago Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx was defending herself against allegations that she was so soft on prosecuting criminals Chicago was turning into an outdoor shooting gallery, and she seemed oblivious. About 6 months ago she held a press conference and announced that since she has been in office violent crime has been on the decline. Indeed logic and facts were no match for her idealogy.

Her insouciant attitude was stunning to those of us who were paying attention to the gangs and the rapidly escalating violence Chicago was struggling with. This wasn’t just shoplifters who were not being held accountable, but hardcore thugs committing murder and shooting up entire neighborhoods. There seemed to be a strict policy that arrestees, felons, and gun offenders be given low bonds or no bonds at all. And the theme back then was, well yea! Chicago does have a serious violence problem but IT IS CONFINED TO JUST A FEW INNER-CITY NEIGHBORHOODS. Evidently the inner-city has extended itself to Chicago’s Loop and the toney Magnificent Mile and several other locations that if you classified them as inner-city you would be laughed at and thought of as another politician trying to cover their asses to advance a slowly decaying agenda.

So last week, after 4 people were shot right in the middle of the day on the Magnificent Mile, even the most unctuous, smug, oily politician, would come to realize oh! oh! how am I going to spin midday murder in one of Chicago’s signature neighborhoods? How am I going to spin shootings in front of the Conrad Hilton Hotel on Michigan Avenue, murders and shootings in the South Loop, the Downtown District, the lakefront?  Most of Chicago and the County’s  politicians, from Mayor Lightfoot, Kim Foxx, Toni Preckwinkle, Chief Judge Evans, and even the Governor J.B. Pritzer were soon realizing someone, the press especially was not buying the “It’s just the inner-city crap.”

I mention Pritzker because even Chicago’s expressways have seen a 100% jump in killings and shootings, and they are the responsibility of the State Police. Another stunning move some years back, the city divesting itself of culpability on its expressways. (a political deal that allowed Lottery machines to be installed at O’Hare Field) Most people are not aware that the violence and shootings and killings on miles of expressways that run through Chicago are not tallied on Chicago’s statistics. While Pritzker, (unfondly called toilets by most folks,) waddles around Chicago babbling about the virus numbers and as far as anyone knows has never once mentioned the stunning violence numbers in Chicago, even though during his campaign for Governor he said he had a plan to stop it. If his plan was stone silence it failed miserably.

Now that the City’s violence, killings and shooting, carjacking, and massive shoplifting gangs have reached levels never seen in many decades, Chicago and Cook County politicians are aware that most of us know that their words in the past were like writings on the sand, destined to disappear. A new reality has set in and the old fictitious benevolence is no longer going to bullshit the news media and the public. Imagine trying to sell the old spin to hundreds of shoppers on the Magnificent Mile witnessing bodies laying bloodied on the street and ducking gunfire and trying to run for cover with loved ones in tow? Disfunction and violence in Chicago are no longer confined to just a few inner-city neighborhoods, a new spin is in order.

The first one to try and at least keep from being thought of as completely clueless, IS none other than Cook County’s States Attorney Kim Foxx, who just 6 months ago was belching and babbling about taking credit for reducing violence, now says, “WE’RE IN REALLY, REALLY, UNCHARTED TERRITORY  WHEN IT COMES TO GUN VIOLENCE IN CHICAGO.”  It would not have surprised me if Kim Foxx stopped reading books years ago because they interfered with her thinking about herself. Imagine the Chief prosecuting Officer in Cook County not knowing the territory Chicago was in? Custer must have had a better sense that he was in uncharted territory than Kim Foxx.

During her press conference announcing the “uncharted territory epiphany”, she managed to slip in on several occasions that she was born and raised in Cabrini Green. The old born and raised card that she used during her campaign for the States Attorneys office.  I cannot imagine anyone born in Chicago who was a prosecutor not knowing that an all-out GANG WAR was happening right before her eyes for months. Carl Von Clausewitz once said,  “WAR IS DIPLOMACY BY OTHER MEANS.” One would have to be almost brain dead to not know the gangs were executing their DIPLOMACY by the hundreds each month.

John Kass the great Tribune Columnist recently asked in one of his Columns if Mayor Lightfoot had lost control of the City and why it was so that she seemed to be the only one being held accountable? She has been labeled as Mayor Undertaker, a take on her predecessor Rahm Emanuel being called Mayor Murder. The Magnificent Mile is being called the MAYHEM MILE, and Chicago has been described as the world’s biggest outdoor shooting range in National news coverage. All that while the rest of the politicians remain as quiet as Sewer Covers.

It’s no secret that Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle holds Kim Foxx in a water glass on her desk. Whatever Toni says or wants Kim obeys. Could Preckwinkle be involved in payback for the resounding defeat that Lightfoot tagged her with when they were rivals in the Chicago Mayoral election? Anything is possible in Chicago politics and until those others who have remained silent step up and realize the City is teetering on the brink of becoming Detroit right before their eyes the violence will continue to escalate.