The Supreme Court has rejected the

independent state legislature theory

(source: npr.com)

June 27 2023

“The Supreme Court on Tuesday rebuffed a legal theory that argued state legislatures have the authority to set election rules with little oversight from state courts, a major decision that turns away a conservative push to empower state legislatures.”

This is the most important political decision by the U S Supreme Court in my lifetime. Vital because it sets a course for the future existence of the Democratic-Republic form of government.

And, I was wrong about how it would be decided. I really thought the ‘the fix was in’ and Trump-McConnell Court would vote “Originalist” for the ‘independent state legislature theory’.

Basically what conservatives were hoping might be accomplished was to make it possible for one Party to change the vote of the people in elections. If the Court had so ruled, the Party which controlled a Legislature could disregard or declare “stolen’ any results that went against controlling Party. They could then appoint their own slate of Electors for President. On theory that power begets power, history shows such control to be a path to one-Party authoritarian government.

As good old Ben Franklin said: “A Republic, if you can keep it.”

Legacy to Leave

by the not yet ‘late’ David L Lewis

And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the latter days. Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.” Genesis 49.1-3 ASV

If you are reading this it means the writer is alive and well! Okay, okay, alive. However, the content herein seemed fitting conclusion to what turned out to be an eight installment dissertation on finding out what I think about our five children and my self-adopted honorary daughters.

Let me start with a brief description of each ‘favorite child’ (favorite being whichever one I am with at the moment). As I have often said, a more diverse group of individuals would be hard to find on a big city jury.

Kenneth: The kindest heart. If needed he’ll do anything for you within his power.

Nathan: Knew the most. Only did one really stupid thing in his too short life.

Matthew: Probably child with highest IQ, therefore one about whom I most worry.

Susan: By unanimous verdict the smartest one in family and our ‘natural leader’.

Benjamin: Best balanced of the bunch. He became what I wanted me to become.

*********

Being of reasonably sound mind and somewhat ‘flaky’ health, and having absolutely no earthly assets to bequest, I leave for consideration this my legacy – most of which, being old and getting senile, I may have mentioned once or twice before.

Axioms for Rearing Children

• My father’s Rule #1 is also mine: “My children are here at my invitation, by an act of my will; and I will treat each child with the same respect given any honored guest in my home”.

• I let my children make the choices and take risk commensurate with their ability to accept the consequences of that choice (as long as the consequences wouldn’t hurt them).

• The perceptions of a child are the perceptions of a child. Those perceptions may not be reality, but they are the perception of that child. Find out what those perceptions are before assuming some other.

• If it is important to the child, it is important. It may not be as important as the child perceives, but it is important because it is important to the child.

• They have an advocate in me -- no matter what they did, no matter what happened, I “will defend you to the death”.

• Will not tell them how to live their life, impose unsought advice, nor solve problems not given me.

What I Hope For My Children

• That they Know each other –- even with all the faults their father refuses to see. There are fifteen years between birth of oldest and youngest. My father once told me he didn’t know his oldest brother until they were grown. This I did not want for our five.

• That they know they are each loved and appreciated individually by their father and our Father; and that their father was proud of each one. Not just because they they are my child; but that I love each one because God chose them for Kay and I. For reasons each ought understand, I vowed some eight years back never again would any one of them walk out the door without my reminding them that their father loves them. As I once told one of my favorite children, if they didn’t know their father loved them my whole life would be a loss and a waste, with no legacy to leave.

theDaddy!

Daddy Day Exam

 

Daddy Day Exam

As compiled by David L Lewis aka thedaddy!

adapted from Brazil Times blog of June 2008

Another Father’s Day is coming around. I may yet receive calls and Facebook messages and maybe even visits from my kidlets -- if they haven’t forgotten me after all that growing up stuff. Funny, don’t remember being the daddy they remember me being. Looking back on so many years it still seems to me that I remember having a better father than I was for my children; and, that my children were better children to me than I was to my father.

Parenthood is certainly one of the great mysteries of life. Nothing prepares a man for fatherhood. Even when he is warily handed this helpless, usually crying infant, it is quickly grabbed from him and taken over by some woman. By the time the daddy person is handed free rein the kid is in high school.

From my enigmatic, eclectic mind comes a test to give by which reasonable people can measure the effectiveness of a mere man as a daddy. Not necessarily in order of significance:

1. Does the daddy person turns out lights “Someone” left on when there is absolutely no reason why they are left on?

2. Does the daddy person put tools back where they belong before they are eternally lost?

3. Does the daddy person finish up the leftovers nobody wants? [This being particularly true in the case of the more healthy of foods – which never seem to hold the attraction of junk food. Have you ever even seen left over junk food?]

4. Does the daddy person say “I’ve seen worse” when there is profuse bleeding and no more gross image can be imaged?

5. Does the daddy person teach safe, considerate, and lawful driving to sixteen year olds?

6. Does the daddy person tell stories about their daddies instead of teaching lessons? Children do not necessarily appreciate or apply these stories, of course. But, they are frequently recalled years later, when the lesson entailed becomes most painfully clear.

7. Does the daddy person worry about stuff kids shouldn’t have to worry about so the kids don’t worry about that stuff?

8. Does the daddy person worry about his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and godchild-types any time, any place, for any or no reason whatsoever?

9. Does the daddy person be the guy daughters are “going to marry when I grow up”?

10. Does the daddy person turn into a man his children remember as a good father? When talking with my sister I always say “daddy”. In conversation or writing I always refer to him as ‘my father’, because he was both.

Of course any exam is put together by someone who knows the best answer. I’m just testing for some future generation of daddys.

My Honorary Daughters

 

Honorary Daughters

as self-adopted by David L Lewis

In graduation card sent to one of finest young women I’ve known I wrote, “I would not want to have lived my life without our five children. And, you would not be the exceptional person you are without the parents you had. But, think I shall always wish you had been my daughter”.

Heard once that when someone loses a spouse and then re-marries they are saying they had a good experience and wanted to be in that kind of relationship again. That’s what happens when you have only one daughter, and she is such a nearly perfect daughter – you ‘adopt’ a lot of ‘god-daughters’ and now ‘god-granddaughters’. Particularly likely to be adopted are young ladies who remind you of your only real daughter, but it is not a prerequisite.

Appropriating honorary daughters and grand-daughters mostly began when we moved to Indiana in 1996. That’s when Susan went off to college and I missed her. These are some of my honorary daughters.

Honorary Daughters Met When They Were Quite Young

Snicklefritz (aka Ariana) was about two, and very shy. I called her Snicklefritz, a nickname my father called my sister. She laughed and I became ‘okay’ with her. Her grandmother said I helped her accept people and got her out of her shell. She grew up, as they do, and has children of her own now. Any named Snicklefritz?

Morgan was about three years old the only time I’ve ever talked to her. She asked me to be her grandpa. I told her I couldn’t do that, but promised her I would never forget her, and she’d always be in my heart. I’ve kept that promise, very few months have passed without her name coming to mind. That was 20+ years ago. Would like to meet her again and have her tell me she is happy with her life.

Eve was a new born when I adopted her. She is daughter of Sarah, someone else I should write about. Eve and I carried on an e-mail correspondence for a while, too bad she couldn’t read yet. From time to time she shows up on Facebook, but haven’t gotten a real pin-on-my-wall picture in some years (hint). From all appearances ‘my’ baby is becoming quite a young woman (takes after her mother).

Hanna Joy is another adopted at birth (and, yes, should write about her mother, Rachel, too). Was able to watch Hanna Joy growing up to about age 10, then came my declining health and so haven’t seen her in-person lately (another hint).

Honorary Daughters Met When They Were Young Women

Becky (aka ‘my beautiful Becky’) would take another blog to describe. Wait! I did do a blog on her. It you want to read about one of the most beautiful woman who ever lived, try this link: https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7931195089641925137/3444113382138356952

Robin is cream, she rises to the top in any circumstances she finds herself. I once said I knew her father would be a good man because I had met his daughter (he is a very good man). Best I can say is what I told her, “…I shall always wish you had been my daughter.”

Amber is the most recent addition to my list, although by now I’ve gotten so old she had to be an honorary grand-daughter. I met her in my travels through the medical world. Somehow she makes me feel like I’m her only patient. Told three people how pretty she is, although was going by her picture because I’d only seen her wearing one of them face masks. [Father’s Note: If you’re old enough to be their grand-father, you’re old enough to tell a pretty girl she is pretty.] I simply like Amber, she reminds me of my daughter. And, if you find a medical type who really cares about you, adopt her!

In the end, like Susan and our four sons, they grow up and go on with their lives. I know I will never be part of the life of my self-adopted honorary daughters. But, my experience has been that I really do always carry them in in my heart. I think perhaps each honorary daughter comes to mind when they’re going through some trouble and need an ‘angel unawares’ to intercede with our mutual Father. But, that is a subject for a different blog.

BTW: None of this is meant to discourage having sons. But, we probably had just about every type son any parent could want. Which, also, is a subject for a different blog.

with love,

TheHonoraryDaddy!

My Lawyer-Daughter extraordinaire!

 

Don’t sign anything until…

the truth about the lawyer-daughter of David L Lewis

As adjudicated elsewhere, Kay and I (mostly her) had five children, four sons and one daughter. Which does make it lot easier to pick-out favorite child of the female persuasion. It does, however, make her the hardest to know what to write. What more can be said about the world’s most nearly perfect daughter?

Well, obviously the duty must fall on this entirely neutral and unbiased observer to submit for objective consideration how she is also the world’s most nearly perfect lawyer-daughter. Therefore, Herewith entered into evidence are five Exhibits definitively demonstrating Susan E Skelton JD is world’s most nearly perfect lawyer-daughter.

Exhibit #1) Never One Of Them TV Lawyers

If you live in or near Seattle area and need a lawyer, don’t expect to see my daughter on TV hustling business. Just ask any random person coming out of the local Court House. If that person knows or has heard of her they are more likely than not to recommend Susan. So many folks appreciate and recommend her she had to stop advertising entirely.

Exhibit #2) Lawyer You Can Talk To

Unlike a lot of folks, she will listen long enough a fellow can finish their thought uninterpreted; and she answers the question asked! Also, knowing the failures of which humans are prone, she doesn’t use those failures against you (guess how her daddy knows that).

Exhibit#3) She Knows When To Be HLIC

Nobody needs a lawyer because everything is going well and they know what to do. There are times, though, when the best thing to do is to let the Head-Lawyer-In-Charge take charge. When needed Susan can be the Boss without being bossy, making her clients (and me, her mother, and her brothers) glad she’s there.

Exhibit #4) She Would Do What You Would Do

In my many expeditions into world of medicine I’ve made a point of saying my lawyer-daughter has ‘absolute discretion’. Just recently she got calls out of the blue from people she didn’t know asking her to make life decisions on behalf of her favorite client, me. I know that she would do what I would do; doing it objectively, correctly, and in my best interest. That’s the kind of lawyer, and daughter, and woman she is.

Exhibit #5) She Signs Stuff For You

Susan drove me to the hospital. She signed papers for ER, permission to treat, permission to charge insurance; and, early the next morning, permission for heart surgery. She says, “Don’t sign anything until your lawyer reads it.” Turns out that if you’re pumped full of meds and play dumb your lawyer will sign it for you. At least she will if your lawyer is your favorite daughter.

I mean, ask yourself, would an ordinary lawyer do all that?

I rest her case.