MGM NOTES: WHAT!
I find it very difficult to believe that Springfield’s city councilors are contemplating softening the MGM ordinance designed and passed by them to “…protect against public perception that city employees would use their authority to advance their (own) job interests.” (Quote by Councilor Michael Fenton in The Republican, February 16, 2021.) Michael Fenton authored the original ordinance for the reason stated in his above quote. What in the world would make Fenton think that the public perception would be any different if the council waters down its own ordinance when nothing has changed since it was passed? Fenton was quoted in the article as saying that the ordinance “…creates a whole pool of people that are prohibited from employment at now one of the largest employers in the city.” What a fake argument. We all knew even before MGM came to town that it would be one of the largest employers in Springfield. THAT’S WHY THE ORDINANCE WAS PASSED! If the perception was going to be bad before, it is certainly worse now that the city council is considering reversing itself when nothing has changed. Maybe Councilor Brown’s comments might help us understand. He was quoted in the same article as saying, “I would like to tweak (the ordinance) a little bit. I understand why you would have it, but as it applies to a person like me, it’s absolutely awful.” “As it applies to a person like me?!” “It’s absolutely awful?!” What exactly does he mean? It sounds more like the council is considering setting itself up for a feast. What happened to the noble intent that prompted the original ordinance? Many of us would like to know.

TRUMP NOTES: A RELIGIOUS FAMILY
Most of the Republican senators who voted to convict Trump at his impeachment trial have been or are in the process of being censored by their home state Republican parties. But Senator Adam Kinzinger, a six-term Illinois senator was censored by his own family. Family members actually evoked the name of God to encourage others in the family to “shun” him. The author of the letter, his female cousin, wrote: “Oh my, what a disappointment you are to us and to God. You have embarrassed the Kinzinger family name.” She sent copies of her lengthy handwritten letter to Republicans across Illinois and, of course, it reached the press. How could people evoke such ugliness in the name of God? It is beyond me.

TRUMP NOTES: BELATED REJECTION
For a staunch supporter of Trump, The Wall Street Journal certainly turned on him when he needed support the most. “Mr. Trump may run again, but he won’t win another national election. He lost re-election before the events of Jan. 6, and as President his job approval never rose above 50%. He may go on a revenge campaign tour, or run as a third party candidate, but all he will accomplish is to divide the center-right and elect Democrats. The GOP’s defeats in the two Jan 5 Georgia Senate races proved that.” (February 16, 2021)

TRUMP NOTES: THE MITCH DANCE
For four years he did the Tennessee Waltz around Donald Trump and closed it out by kissing his rear end. But after voting in his favor for acquittal from impeachment charges, McConnell did an Irish Step Dance on Trump’s head (see page 22). Trump responded, of course, in typical hyperbolic fashion. What a great fight that we know will divide the Republican’s for years to come!

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT CHLOÉ VALDARY
I was curious enough about an article in the “Ideas” section of the Boston Sunday Globe by Chloé Valdary to read the entire full-page article only because I was curious to know if she was a naïve White person searching for answers or a jaded older White person floating Pollyannish ideas that we all wish could be true but know can’t be. As part of her agreement to write the article, she required that the Globe not capitalize “Black” or “White when printing her racial references about the same colors. She reminded me of some of my White friends who claim to believe in a colorblind society and are always saying they don’t see color. I can honestly say that I have never met a White person who doesn’t see color nor a Black person, for that matter. So, I was curious about how Chloé Valdary, who, as it turns out, is a 27- year-old Black lady from New Orleans who fashions herself an intellectual and an expert on how to eliminate racism, would frame her argument. At 27-years-old (reportedly), it seemed to me that she likely hasn’t even developed a complete understanding of racism, its scope and its power to endure far beyond any intellectual design for eliminating it. She listed her race as “American” on Wikipedia. God help her when she becomes aware of who she really is. It was clear from the article in the Globe that she was a reader of James Baldwin and was critical of him but it was easy to conclude that she hadn’t deeply studied him. If you get a chance, read the article. Below are a few of her thoughts. They may sound good to some, but… THOUGHTS BY CHLOÉ VALDARY
“If…we reinforce a shallow dogma of racial essentialism by describing black and white people in generalizing ways, I fear we will mainly spread alienation that leads to insecurity, the stymieing of fellowship among peers of different races, and an atrophying of the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood. A loveless wasteland provides fertile ground for racism to take root.” (Chloé Valdary, Boston Sunday Globe, February 7, 2021)
“For one thing, the focus on racial groups implicitly asserts the existence of monolithic and stereotypical “white” and “black” Americas. Life is far more complex than this limited taxonomy would allow. In fact, many Americans are black and white: There are few black descendants of slaves in the republic who are not also partially white. American culture itself is a blend of European, African, Asian and Native American traditions.” (Chloé Valdary, Boston Sunday Globe, February 7, 2021)
“Beyond that, in the words of the Pulitzer Prize-winning hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar, we all have “power, poison, pain and joy” inside us – regardless of our racial identity. We are all assailed by the fear of death, haunted by the specter of insignificance, and tempted by the possibility of attaining unfettered power. I also believe that we are all sacred, made in the image of the Divine, in need of love and belonging, and searching for a sense of worth and meaning. Understanding this is the first step toward building and renewing a truly antiracist, multiethnic country.” (Chloé Valdary, Boston Sunday Globe, February 7, 2021)
“I believe the key to fostering spaces of diversity and inclusion is to teach people how to make peace with their human condition. This requires a spiritual practice that will help people wrestle with flaws, vulnerability, fear, mortality, and the infinite gifts that human beings bring to bear in the world. It means helping people think in terms of complexity instead of caricature. It means helping people develop a capacity for empathy and compassion for both themselves and their neighbors.” (Chloé Valdary, Boston Sunday Globe, February 7, 2021)

MY CONCLUSIONS ABOUT VALDARY’S IDEAS
Valdary will make lots of money telling White folks what they want to hear and could care less that she is not telling them what they need to hear although I won’t begrudge her for making a living the great American way. But I wonder if she saw the White mob assault the Capital building on January 6th and how she would suggest converting its members.
(Chloé Valdary is a writer and entrepreneur who founded Theory of Enchantment, a consultancy that teaches self-compassion as a first step to ending racism.)

HELEN CAULTON AND THE PANDEMIC RESPONSE
I must say, the City of Springfield has done a great job controlling the Covid pandemic under the guidance of Health & Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton Harris along with Mayor Sarno and Baystate Health President Mark Keroack. In spite of some unavoidable inconveniences, the entire Springfield effort has been comforting and confidence-building for the many who would otherwise have panicked. Congratulations! ■