California, Here I Come

My brother and I are native Californians. We started elementary school in the Los Angeles environs of the1950s, when duck-and-cover bomb drills were routine because then the agreed-
upon great fears were Russians and nuclear armament. As native Californians, we were in the minority at school. I am sure it’s commonplace now. But wherever my classmates and I were
from, we shared common enemies: Russians and nuclear bombs.

It’s more nuanced these days. Who are the good guys and the bad guys now? Well, there’s a lot more gray.

Remember the mid-century proliferation of Western movies? Even there the color of a cowboy’s hat communicated the “side” he represented: white hat, good guy; black hat, bad guy.

In the 1950s and onward, we also had journalists and news entities who were respected for their commitment to telling the truth no matter the cost.

But where we are today? When I see a headline of a news story, and then read the lead paragraph, all too often I wonder: What is the truth here? As for photographs, your guess is as
good as mine: AI? A “real” photograph but tweaked by AI? Same problem.

These days, if I want to share a story or a photo, I have to do my own fact-checking as best I can.

So, what I am doing in this blog is providing two things that can be useful in the days ahead.

First thing, consider this Latin phrase, Posse Comitatis. Or, more specifically, the Posse Comitatus Act. This is the law that limits the power of the federal government in state jurisdictions. Specifically, neither the federal government nor the U.S. president can singly send federal troops into a state for law enforcement purposes. In other words, President Trump illegally sent federal troops to California to assist In managing crowd control. He was not, he was not needed, not not invited, nor did he withdraw them when asked to do so by Governor Gavin Newsome who, who along with 49 other governor, may request federal troop support. If you wish to know more, here’s a link to Wikipedia.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act

Second thing, know your rights before you need to. Here’s a link from Arizona ACLU. You can print this and take with you, leave in your car, or have in your pocket. Hand out to friends. If you think you will not be approached by immigration officers, I say, think again.
https://www.acluaz.org/en/know-your-rights/what-do-if-youre-stopped-police-or-immigration-
agents

Here are the classic lyrics to California, Here I Come

California, Here I Come
(by Al Jolson, DeSylva & Meyer, 1924)

California, here I come
Right back where I started from
Where bowers of flowers bloom in the sun
Each morning at dawning
Birdies sing an’ everything
A sun-kissed miss said, “Don’t be late!”
That’s why I can hardly wait
Open up that Golden Gate
California, here I come!