106 Comments
Jan 16, 2023·edited Jan 16, 2023Liked by Joyce Vance

So glad that we have you back again! Here in SC, people could choose between MLK Day and Confederates' Day, which was sometime in June. I'd never heard of it during the first 10 years I lived in Charleston, but when my (wonderful) secretary came to work for me in 1990, she said that she would be taking off Confederates' Day, instead of MLK Day! I was stunned. I had no idea that such a day existed, but even more so that people could choose "which side are you on?" -- 130 years later.

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Really incredible.

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William Faulkner was right. "The past is not dead. It's not even past." The wrongs of the past still rise up to haunt us.

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Put that together with philosopher George Santayana's much-quoted but often-ignored warning about failing to learn from the past, and you can explain a lot.

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This is shocking information to me. Really unbelievable!

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OTOH, a day off in June can be more attractive than a day off in January, so I'm not 100% sure that this was a conscious choice to support the Lost Cause. Subconscious or unconscious, yes. Conscious, not necessarily. No way would I make that choice for any reason, but I'm excruciatingly aware of both history and current politics and many people are not.

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Instead of torturing myself trying to respond with a witty or ironic response, I'm simply going to climb out on a short, stout limb and call this naivé thinking. While most people don't give a second thought to what they're celebrating on any given holiday, it should be pretty damn obvious that any holiday called "Confederate Day" is about a seditious rebellion and the rascism underlying it. On this day of all days, let's have the courage to call it out.

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Thanks for the clarification, and I have to say I'm not too surprised. Did many people who chose to take the day off do such observances? I'm thinking of all the people these days (including me) who happily take Memorial Day and Veterans Day off but don't participate in any observances of either. (P.S. I'm "Southern for many, many generations" on my mother's side but I grew up in Massachusetts and that made a difference. My maternal grandmother, who lived in the Boston area for about 50 years, had a small Confederate Battle Flag above the mantel in her dining room and a big WWI recruiting poster beside her writing desk featuring Robert E. Lee in his gray uniform and the words "I fought for Virginia. Now it's your turn.")

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Actually, everyone I knew did go to the tombs and lay wreaths. It was often an intergenerational experience. They knew who their ancestors were, and wanted to honor them. That's very interesting about your MGM who did not allow her ancestors' memories to be forgotten -- even though she lived in Boston!

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"Dr. King once said, 'The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.'" Amen. At every level of interaction. Let's raise more Martin Luther Kings in this world and fewer Putins and tfgs.

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They are out there no doubt ❤️

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Joyce and fellow readers. I listen to a podcast moderated by Allison Gill (Mueller, She Wrote) and Andrew McCabe (former FBI) about the special counsel called ‘Jack’. In todays installment, McCabe explained about the life of a high ranking official via-a-vie classified information. It was educational. I had access to some classified materials in my career but, I was not a senior official and the “lock it up every damn time” rules applied to me. I recommend a listen to todays episode of Jack just for this perspective from someone who walked the walk.

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Thanks for the referral. Will listen.

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Wow, "Jack" podcast was really interesting and informative to listen to, thank you!

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I agree. It was calming to listen to Allison and Andrew. Pretty cool.

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Grateful that your colon inspired a complimentary opinion from your physician -we absolutely need you to accompany us and guide us, as you do so ably, through this maze of political posturing challenging fundamental democratic values.

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Joyce,

Good news on the colonoscopy, and thank you for a column that cuts through the noise. The Republicans have gotten incredibly comfortable with shameless hypocrisy and lies, and now George Santos seems to represent the ultimate in both of those Republican party traits.

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He’s just a grifter and proud of it.

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Thanks, as always, for your ability to explain everything in layman's terms.

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Not surprising that the biggest liar ever to serve as a presidential press secretary begins her term as governor with the same mendacity that she served up in the White House.

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And unfortunately she's the governor of the state I live in.

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Happy your colonoscopy went well. I count the yrs left b4 my 3rd one comes up, 2026. What irks me is that big "IF". Because of the secrecy at present, we are left to wonder if President Biden simply screwed up having classified docs at his former Think Tank office, though they were apparently locked in a closet. It caused me to flinch a bit when news broke about a 2nd set at his home, in his garage no less. That makes it look like he IS incompetent to do his job, and that is the worst of this to me. Of course, the skeptic in me wonders if any of it was planted, and if so can they prove it? That would be my favorite ending to this story, but of course, how could that be proven? Are there video cameras at the Delaware house? One would think there are since security would be paramount when the President is home, etc. Were there cameras at his think tank? I truly hope there were because I cannot fathom why he would have Obama Administration classified docs for 5-6 yrs secreted away there and no one know about it. Having been a holder of a top secret clearance in the Army in the 70's, I assure you that those of us who were "around" classified docs knew what we could view and what we couldn't. I was on burn bag detail several times on Okinawa, Japan. I know the linguists had to cut 15" reels of magnetic tape into 4 inch strips that went into burn bags that stood 4 feet tall and were stapled shut. There were at least 2 of us on burn detail. Dual control was always in effect. So, that would translate to President Biden's think tank being an unsafe place, unless others controlled the 10 alleged classified docs found there. I have to wonder why NARA didn't know they were missing. I think going forward there will be more stringent controls placed on classified documents. It is obviously necessary. Thank you, Joyce. Have a good Monday.

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Looks like the entire system is not strictly set up. Why couldn’t NARA encode classified documents wherein they would be electronically recorded when they left the archives and electronically recorded at time returned? There could be classified documents all over the place since there does not seem to be a tight system in place and I’m talking about both sides of the aisle. This needs to be addressed. But otherwise the timing does not seem accidental. I believe they could have been planted. We all know Biden would never hold America in jeopardy since he works so hard to preserve our freedoms every day.

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I looked up how the NARA is organized.

https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2022/nr22-44

This new Director, Kara S Blond, may be great in museum positions. However, shouldn’t someone in this role have a clearer understanding of how important it is to maintain adequate security with sound records management systems in place? I worked part-time in libraries in high school,and college. We has really good systems in place. Maybe there would have been a better candidate from The Library of Congress or somewhere else in government. The Senate should hold hearings on the procedures at NARA.

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At Jury Trials, I always favored Librarians, assistant Librarians. They have a sytem for recording book use, a code for placing books on the shelves etc. I worked part time at the UCLA Resesrch Library as an Undergrad in the Summer. Long time exposure to Books is quite healthy. :)

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Thank you, William, for adding clarity to the proper handling of classified documents.

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I believe someone made a lot of money to plant those documents.

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Glad your colonoscopy went well. It is always a relief to get a clean bill of health. I think the positive side of the Biden situation is going to have to be that there is an awareness that we need some better protocols for handling government documents. Also, we can point out the hypocrisy of the Republicans in the case of the Mar-a-lago situation. It should be a tit for a tat. If is is happening with Biden it should happen with Trump too. For example, all of Trump's properties should be searched just like Biden's are being searched, and he actually has current reason to have documents because he is the sitting president. Trump does not. Secondly, when the Republicans complain about their little friend Santos lying it needs to be pointed out to them that they have no problem with Trump lying telling The Big Lie. Everything that they complain about or go after their hypocrisy needs to be pointed out to them because that is all that they are is inconsistent hypocrites. That goes for celebrating Jackson and Lee at the same time as Martin Luther King Jr.

Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP4iY1TtS3s

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The only problem is who is left to write and pass the legislation? It has pretty much been that way since circa 2010ish when the tea-party flooded the Potomac.

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I just watched the documentary, Descendant, which is an excellent example of the tension between those who came here as slaves and those who were instrumental in that happening. In earlier years, I spent time in Huntsville and Birmingham in the late 40’s and 50’s before moving north. However, something of the south never left me, and I have to believe it’s the connection that can be found in the divide that can be overcome by those who align themselves with justice and equity. I keep hoping. I keep working.

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Congratulations on your colon! All compliments are accepted graciously! Those doctors! What charmers!

Huzzah for Yellen! And her reminders to McCarthy about the Debt Ceiling!

I have never seen anything so ridiculous as McCarthy’s shenanigans to become Speaker of the House except for the shenanigans of Boebert, Gaetz, et. al., to see how much they could get as giveaways. Very embarrassing. Now we know why Nancy Pelosi is a master politician. And a heroine. Her actions on January 6, 2021, proved that!I loved the speech of Hakeem Jeffries. Made me proud to read those words.

But you are right. I need to back off for awhile. Too much tension for me.

Thank you for your writing. You do a great service for us all.

🐼❤️

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A clean bill of health, and a clean colon to boot! A win-win if there ever was one!

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You ask how republicans can ask for Biden’s visitors logs and not trump’s? To paraphrase Mitch McConnell: because we are in power. I have always disliked the term “peaceful transfer of power” - I prefer “peaceful transfer of responsibility” it implies accountability, which “power” does not.

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Florida recognizes January 19th, Robert E. Lee’s birthday, as a legal state holiday, although not a paid holiday.

We moved to Florida in 1956 from Ohio. I attended a segregated elementary school here & we had Lee’s birthday off from school, but not Lincoln’s birthday. The “good old days”....

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Lee's property & residence on the south side of the Potomac looking over the Capitol has fallen Union soldiers buried around the perimeter of Lee's "garden" & many more fallen buried in long rows now called "Arlington".

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There is an excellent book about the history of Arlington National Cemetery called "On Hallowed Ground." Turning Lee's property into a cemetery for soldiers had the effect of rendering that property,once used in vile ways, sacred. I grew in NC. Never once was it mentioned in history class that the South's secession was traitorous. Germany has been forced to confront its horrible Nazi past. America has never confronted or acknowledged its sins. We just keep repeating the hypocritical, racist actions in different ways and hold ourselves back as a society.

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But not so good.

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Professor, very good news on the preventive diagnostics & good to see & hear you on msnbc earlier today. Welcome back!

As to Garland's recent appointments, special or not, I strongly recommend viewing the first 14 minutes of Ari Melbar's Friday, January 13 2023 msnbc show wherein Ari challenged Garland's reptition of James Comey's failed tactics trying to game out the politics-of-perception & appearing "even handed". The problem has nothing to do with Comey's stirling record as a capable legal mind. But, Comey & Mueller for that matter got stovepiped. Citizens need to question if we must "ensure people's confidence"? Whose confidence? People whose condifidence will never be "ensured"? What does it mean to say "pragmatically it [warped equivalency] is not a terrible thing". I (and at least Ari) prefer equal justice; the equal administration of prosecutorial powers indeed due process & the rule-of-law.

As Ari vividly demonstrated, why appoint someone who was not long ago mouthing Trump's talking points about (delivered in the scariest terms) about "MS 13" and how he is going to carry out maga policy. I am pretty certain tfg liked the performance because Trump never really went after MS13 or built "the wall" or directed the full & necessary responses to Covid 19 nor the deadly variants.

Ari can speak & write well for himself but, I believe Ari is also concerned about Chatbots, another story. We could use a Data Analyst.

Jan 16 MLK Update: Professor, I saw your crisp analysis this am on Andrea Mitchell's msnbc show, Episode 12 about 10:50 into the first segment. Thank you for flagging the "serious matters" involving NARA documents, Nov 22 to Jan 23, also noting that Biden gets a "former Trump US Attorney" but, "ironically" Trump is entitled to a former "Acting US Attorney" appointed as Special Counsel, (Joyce's accurate analysis) involved in the MS13 Gaslighting [my analysis] leading the review despite direct evidence that Trump's overt acts trigger the Federal statute that targets "retention" of the NARA documents ( for over a year ) and other delaying tactics. None of the newly appointed US Attorneys are complicit as the former Trump appointed head of DOJ who finally balied out after more than 60 failed dismissed tfg cases. Let it all come out.

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Thank you Joyce for this lucid explanation of the issues of the week. I have a question, really a two-part question:

How likely is it that 4 moderate Republicans will join 212 Democrats to deal with the debt ceiling issue?

I come across references in the social media world to a complicated and above-my-pay-grade maneuver that the Democrats can use to bypass the McCarthy Republicans to deal with the debt ceiling issue. Could you explain what this is? I gather it has to be something that the Senate will pass word for word, without even a comma out of place. I am so grateful that we have you to guide us through what has been a dismal week.

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I recall Lawrence O’Donnell in one of his shows maybe within the past month explaining a possibility that could do just that by the democrats alone.

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Yes I watched that show and that is why I asked Joyce about it. Lawrence stated the three word name for it but I did not write it down , and because I had never heard of such a thing I cannot remember what it was called. I resolved at the time to ask Joyce about it.

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Exactly.

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glad your results were good.

I have been wondering about all these efforts to "ensure students don't feel bad" (about the history of US abuse of power over people). It just seems like those laws could backfire magnificently if taken on, bit by bit, in civil court by individuals and classes of people who have been inculcated that their vote (etc.) doesn't matter.

BTW, was listening to the cast recording of Hamilton recently. It reminded me that Jefferson was a sexist pig as well as a slave holder of his own decendants, and the Schuyler sisters mostly married a bunch of pirates. (Angelica's spouse was in the US under an assumed name to avoid getting caught for financial malfeasance). I was also not aware that Burr kept trying to capture territory in the south to take over, and misspent wife #2's fortune (but she got it back by making a paper sale to to David Hamilton, Alexander's son).

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And what about students of all races who want to learn the truth not to have a whitewashed (pardon the pathetic pun) curriculum? Don’t they have rights too?

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Nevertheless, assholes (particularly relevant to today's column) like Jefferson can do marvelous things. That doesn't mean that you'd necessarily want to hang with them on a daily basis. Unless you're a proctologist.

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