SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
December 13, 2023
Sullivan’s Salvos 12/14/23
In this edition:
*Congratulations Jordan!
*Christmas Music
*Speaker Johnson and the Bible
*Israel and Palestine
*Hiring Practices
*Baby Boomers
*Did You Know?
*Congratulations Jordan!
Congratulations to my daughter Jordan who just earned her MBA (while working full time).
Jordan lives in Memphis, TN and is in management at a place called Youth Villages. For eastern Iowans, Youth Villages is a lot like Four Oaks, just much larger. I am very proud of you, Honey!
*Christmas Music
I know that as many of you are driving around with Xmas music filling the airwaves, you are thinking, “Who wants this stuff from Thanksgiving to New Year’s?”
The answer? I do! I LOVE Xmas music! Carols, standards, silly songs – I love almost every one. And yes, I can listen for a whole month! So I am the guy you hate!
*Speaker Johnson and the Bible
The following was stolen from the Facebook page of Laura Twing:
When asked about his political philosophy, US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson replied, “Just read the Bible. That is what I believe.”
Bible: Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor.
MJ: Not that part.
Bible: You cannot serve both God and money.
MJ: Not that part.
Bible: Do not store riches for yourself here on earth.
MJ: Not that part.
Bible: It is harder for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into Heaven.
MJ: Not that part.
The real Mike Johnson philosophy? We must cut the IRS so rich tax cheats can keep getting away with it.
Hypocrisy, anyone?
*Israel and Palestine
This may sound crazy, but I actually do not believe the US response to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is as difficult as US officials think it is.
The Hamas attack on Israel (which killed many innocent civilians) was an act of terrorism. Hamas is a terrorist organization. We need to assist the Palestinian people to somehow develop different political leadership. This will not be easy. There are generations of trauma that must be overcome.
Though Hamas is a terrorist organization, we should continue to urge Israel to negotiate. There are many hostages on both sides; that situation needs to end. And no conflicts ever end without negotiations. Both sides want US help; as a condition, the US should demand to be at the table.
As for Israel? The Netanyahu government is no better than Hamas. More legitimate, perhaps. But the apartheid regime they have created is one of the most shameful things on earth. And remember - criticism of the Israeli government is NOT antisemitism! We need to assist the Israeli people to also somehow develop different political leadership. Again, this will not be easy. There are generations of trauma that must be overcome.
Any US aid should be conditioned on an extended cease fire. Both sides must stop the violence. We must be able to get humanitarian aid into Gaza. Period. Otherwise, you get no help from us.
It is important to remember that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, nor does the Netanyahu government represent the Israeli people. Both peoples should be afforded all the human rights that all people of the world deserve.
The recent attacks against Muslims in the US are horrific, and we need to do more to fight this domestic extremism. And the increase in antisemitic hatred in the US over the past few years has been truly awful. Again, more needs to be done to assure the safety of Jews in the US.
Am I missing something? (I’m sure folks will tell me if I am!) I really think the way forward for the US is obvious. Yes, there are political considerations in the US. You know what? Politics be damned. Let’s do what is right!
*Hiring Practices
I am a bit surprised by the number of people I hear who say something akin to, “Why prolong the process? Just make Beth Goetz Iowa’s Athletic Director on a permanent basis.”
Like these folks, I have been impressed with what I have seen from Goetz. And I have heard very nice things from people associated with the Athletic Department. So we can agree that Goetz is an excellent candidate for the job.
But the process is important here! The University of Iowa (like Johnson County) is an EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) employer. That means they are required to advertise widely and for a minimum amount of time. They are required to review applications, then do interviews. They check references. That is the process. You can’t just hand anyone – no matter how qualified – any job.
Plus, there is a certain irony here; a failure to follow that process in the case of the Iowa Football team led to Goetz’ most high-profile act. Why follow a flawed process with a flawed process?
EEOC processes are very important when it comes to fair hiring for women, people of color, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups. All government organizations should follow EEOC best practices every time they hire. Period.
Now, as for hiring an expensive search consultant? Save the money, please! The HR professionals at the UI are plenty capable of handling the hiring process!
*Baby Boomers
I’ve always taken some issue with prescribed generational cutoffs such as “Greatest Generation,” “Gen X,” and “Millennial.” I am not sure it serves us well to lump so many different people together.
Take my mom and I. Born in early January of 1946, Mom is technically the very oldest of the Boomers. But like many women her age, she had children young. So she and I are almost in the same generation! She never felt like a Boomer. She lived way out on the family farm. She loved Elvis, not the Beatles and Dylan. She didn’t have much time to worry about the politics of Viet Nam; she had three young children at home.
Similarly, I never really felt fully a part of Gen X. I was the oldest in my family, and spent a lot of time with adults. I was too old for most of the Gen X touchstones. I never really adopted any Gen X styles or music. I was very interested in Watergate, but too drunk to recall the Challenger crash. I always felt just a bit apart.
That doesn’t mean it cannot be interesting! I have been reading “The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America,” by Phillip Bump. It is really quite interesting.
For example, did you know that Donald Trump, George W Bush, and Bill Clinton were all born within 66 days of each other in 1946? (In that order.) There is no other such phenomenon in all of American history. Throw in Barack Obama, who, assuming you subscribe to these generational cut offs, was born at the very end of the Baby Boom, and that generation produced 4 American Presidents, fully twice as many as any other.
I remember distinctly in 1992, when some of my friends (also born in ’46) were celebrating Bill Clinton’s election. They noted that it felt as though they finally had a President who was one of them. Just then, my good friend Carol Spaziani noted that she and her husband had felt the exact same way when JFK was elected in 1960. I made a mental note, and sure enough, I felt the EXACT same way in 2008 about Barack Obama! We were clearly of a different generation than John McCain, and it felt like our time.
The book is heavy on statistics, and certainly covers more than politics. I think just about everyone would find it interesting.
*DID YOU KNOW? Millennials were the largest generation group in the U.S. in 2022, with an estimated population of 72.24 million. Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials recently surpassed Baby Boomers as the biggest group.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 4:17 PM
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