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Remember This Moment . . .

Wayne King — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 16:54:44 GMT

Kodi and I, on our daily walks, often wander along the confluence of two great rivers - still bearing the names given to them by my Native ancestors: The Connecticut and the Ammonoosuc.

Sometimes we will begin the walk with a “smudge”, burning ceremonial sage, sweetgrass, and tobacco as an offering of unity and fidelity to the great mystery.

Though I can’t speak for my four-legged companion, it is always a spiritual journey for me.

Each of these rivers carries the waters of a different region of the North Country - in both New Hampshire and Vermont. Each carries the physical, historical, geological and spiritual markers of the land from which it arises. Each exerts its own power on the land, even on the weather.

But when they flow together, at the confluence beneath the Burton Bridge just down the road from my home, their power is at its zenith.

So too was the confluence of American consumer power and a rare show of bi-partisan defense of the most sacred of American rights, freedom of speech from opinion leaders and elected officials.

The attacks on Free Speech began with a ham-handed series of threats - beginning first with overt threat’s from the “dear leader”, Donald Trump, over the previous few weeks, followed by what all but the thickest of observers could fail to recognize as a thinly (very thinly) veiled mafia-like threat from the US Chairman of the FCC , Brendan Carr, that ultimately led to the suspension of comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show.

Anyone who might have wondered if there was direct collusion between Carr and Donald Trump could not fail to note how quickly the President was to take a victory lap on the removal of Kimmel. Promising in the same text message to go after Falon and Seth Meyers next. As usual, Donald Trump did not even bother to try and disguise his threats.

But the arrogance of the MAGA Mafiosa’s response was matched by a powerful surge of resistance from citizens across the country who cancelled 100K Disney wedding packages, cruises, park visits and online services. Reportedly, both Disney and ABC were equally stunned by the number of people who simply Googled “How do I cancel my Hulu (or Disney +) subscriptions. “ In one week alone, it is said, Disney suffered losses totalling more than 4 billion dollars from consumer action alone.

These actions, combined with other notable moments from last week, can be seen as the first major, united, and bipartisan effort to push back against the rising tide of authoritarianism emanating from the Trump administration.

Now, I’m not going to suggest that our country doesn’t have a lot of difficult moments ahead, because we do.

I’m not going to suggest that Jimmy Kimmel is the hero of this story. He was - to a large extent - a pawn in the game being played out, and I suspect he would agree. But his heartfelt message, including his words about Erica Kirk’s remarks, were a welcome salve to a wounded world.

I’m not going to say that the words of the murdered Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erica, were any less powerful and grace-filled because they embraced Christian orthodoxy. That is her religious ideology and in a nation that was founded on religious pluralism, it is no more or less acceptable than any other religious ideology. Furthermore, the concept of forgiveness reaches across every spiritual and moral tradition. That was the importance of the message that she delivered to the world.

Erica Kirk met the moment.

Jimmy Kimmel met the moment.

Ted Cruz met the moment, though self-interest seemed to be more of a motivating factor than free speech from the context of his warning about this censorship being deployed against the right. The First Amendment belongs to us all.

Every American who cancelled their wedding reception at Disneyland, their cruise reservations, their subscriptions, or even simply went online to inquire how to cancel their subscriptions . . . Every one of them met the moment.

At almost 70, I don’t believe that I will live to see the damage that Donald Trump has wrought corrected, but the sooner we begin the better. More important, when the walls come down, let’s use this as an opportunity to do better.

About Wayne King

Wayne is a North American “mutt” with a family heritage that winds through his Native American, Canadian and US Colonial roots. His love for the philosophical founding documents and sacred stories and dreams of both the Abenaki and the Iroquois, the US Founders, and the sacred artist, musicans, writers and poets whose works and images are a celebration of the circle of life continue to be the source of his inspiration.

An author, podcaster, artist, activist, and recovering politician including three terms as a State Senator and 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor. His art (WayneDKing.com) is exhibited nationally in galleries and he has published five books of his images, most recently, “New Hampshire - a Love Story”. His novel “Sacred Trust” - a vicarious, high-voltage adventure to stop a private power line - as well as the photographic books are available at most local bookstores or on Amazon.

Wayne lives on the “Narrows” in Bath, NH at the confluence of the Connecticut and Ammonoosuc Rivers and proudly flies the American, Iroquois and Abenaki Flags, attesting to both his ancestry and his spiritual ties. Anamaki is a derivative of an Algonquin word meaning “abiding hope”.

Art, Columns and Podcasts are produced at Anamaki Productions, Winter Warrior Studios in Bath, NH. Join the mailing list and be first to see new images and to receive special offers on cards, prints, limited editions and more at his Anamaki Chronicles Substack

From the Gallery

Painted Sky Over Squam River Confluence

The Shoulder of Africa

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The Green Edge

Notes: Taking further action (includes AI generaated information)

What major corporations are involved in the fight between supporters of Jimmy Kimmel and the FCC?

The recent conflict involving Jimmy Kimmel, the FCC, and several major corporations centers on Kimmel’s commentary following the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk

. After FCC Chairman Brendan Carr publicly threatened repercussions for broadcasters over Kimmel’s remarks, several major media companies reacted differently.

Corporations involved

The Walt Disney Company/ABC: As the parent company and network for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Disney suspended Kimmel’s show indefinitely after the pressure from Carr and affiliate stations. However, the company faced criticism and threats of subscriber cancellations for both Disney+ and Hulu, prompting them to reverse the decision and bring Kimmel back on air.
Nexstar Media Group: As the largest owner of ABC-affiliated stations in the U.S., Nexstar was the first company to publicly state it would preempt Kimmel’s show on its local stations. The company, which needs FCC approval for its pending merger with Tegna, continued to refuse to air the show after ABC reinstated it.
Sinclair Broadcast Group: A major broadcaster, Sinclair also announced it would stop airing Kimmel’s show on its ABC affiliates. Sinclair joined Nexstar in keeping the show off the air after Disney brought it back, and also has regulatory issues pending with the FCC.
Comcast/NBCUniversal: This corporation has been involved peripherally. During an interview on CNBC (owned by NBCUniversal), Chairman Carr suggested that Disney was misleading the public about the events surrounding Kimmel’s monologue. Former President Barack Obama also made a post on X calling on media companies—like NBCUniversal—to stand up to threats from the administration.

Key regulatory issue

Both Nexstar and Sinclair have major regulatory matters pending with the FCC, including potential mergers that would require the agency’s approval. Critics argue this pending business provided a strong incentive for the companies to bow to pressure from FCC Chairman Carr.

If consumers want to pressure Nexstar and Sinclair over their programming choices, the most effective “levers of power” are targeting advertising revenue and appealing to the companies’ regulatory concerns

Unlike cable or streaming services, local broadcast stations are highly dependent on advertisers for revenue.

Target advertisers

The most powerful tool available to consumers is to pressure local businesses that advertise on Nexstar and Sinclair-owned stations.

Identify local advertisers. Watch the local news broadcasts on the Nexstar or Sinclair-owned ABC affiliate in your market and write down the names of the local businesses that buy commercial spots.
Contact the advertisers. Let these businesses know that you are a consumer and will boycott them until they stop supporting the media company with their ad dollars. This can be done via social media, email, or phone.
Encourage public statements. Some consumer groups suggest asking local advertisers to put out a public statement promising not to spend any future advertising money with the station or to spend it with another local media outlet instead.

Contact the media companies

While less impactful than targeting advertisers, contacting the corporations directly can add to the pressure.

Nexstar
: Contact Nexstar’s corporate offices through their website or by calling. The company’s corporate headquarters are in Irving, Texas.
Sinclair
: Reach out to Sinclair Broadcasting Group through its website or corporate contact information. The company’s headquarters are located in Cockeysville, Maryland.

Organized effort to oppose Nexstar and Sinclairs merger applications

Yes, there is organized opposition to Nexstar’s proposed acquisition of Tegna, as well as broader opposition to media consolidation involving both Nexstar and Sinclair

These efforts have been amplified by recent events related to the Jimmy Kimmel controversy and involve a range of groups from conservative outlets to labor unions and consumer advocates.

Opposition to the Nexstar-Tegna merger

The organized opposition against Nexstar’s $6.2 billion bid to acquire Tegna comes from an unusual mix of sources:

Conservative news networks: Right-leaning outlets like Newsmax and One America News Network (OAN) have voiced opposition. They argue that the merger would allow Nexstar to dominate local broadcast markets, stifling competition and potentially enabling monopolistic practices. Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy has ties to former President Trump and has indicated he would challenge the FCC in court if it relaxed ownership rules to facilitate the deal.
Democratic lawmakers: Several Democratic senators and representatives have voiced concerns, citing the censorship of Jimmy Kimmel as a potential quid pro quo for regulatory favors. They have launched an investigation into whether Nexstar and Sinclair made an illegal trade of political censorship for favorable action on mergers from the Trump administration and the FCC.
Local advocacy groups: Following the Kimmel incident, local groups, such as the Connecticut Citizen Action Group, have organized protests targeting Nexstar-owned affiliates to pressure the company and highlight concerns about media consolidation and free speech.
Labor unions: The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians of the Communications Workers of America (NABET-CWA) is actively organizing against media consolidation. They have called for boycotts of Nexstar and Sinclair, arguing that these companies drive down wages and hurt local journalism.

Opposition to Sinclair’s potential expansion

While no specific major merger has been announced recently, Sinclair is known to have been interested in acquiring more stations. Opposition to Sinclair’s growth is coming from:

Progressive groups: Several progressive organizations and grassroots campaigns have long opposed Sinclair’s expansion. They cite the company’s “must-run” ideological segments and argue that its growth harms independent local media. A Facebook group dedicated to opposing Sinclair’s expansion has been circulating petitions urging people to pressure the FCC to block such deals.
Democratic lawmakers: As with Nexstar, Democratic lawmakers have expressed alarm over Sinclair’s actions, with some, like California State Senator Scott Wiener, publicly calling for the conglomerate to be broken up.
Free speech advocates: Organizations like the Freedom of the Press Foundation are concerned that media consolidation gives a small number of companies undue power to influence public discourse, especially when they appear to bend to government pressure.

Key regulatory issues driving the opposition

These organized efforts are focusing on specific regulatory hurdles faced by both Nexstar and Sinclair:

FCC approval of the Tegna merger: The Nexstar-Tegna deal needs FCC approval, and the controversy has provided critics with strong arguments to challenge the merger’s “public interest” justification.
FCC media ownership rules: Sinclair has long pushed for the relaxation of FCC ownership caps to enable more acquisitions. Opponents use arguments about the need for diverse voices and local journalism to challenge any efforts to weaken these regulations.
Antitrust enforcement: Critics are appealing to the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice to scrutinize these mergers under antitrust law, arguing they would harm competition in local media markets.

Specific organizations with whom citizens can align themselves to enhance the efforts to block the mergers?

Yes, several specific organizations are actively working to oppose media consolidation and specifically align against mergers involving companies like

Nexstar and Sinclair. These groups provide avenues for citizens to enhance efforts to block these deals by organizing collective action, filing legal challenges, and leveraging political influence.

Advocacy and public interest groups

Common Cause: This nonpartisan grassroots organization is a long-time champion of media reform. It actively fights against dangerous media consolidation by lobbying Congress, pressuring regulatory agencies like the FCC, and organizing public campaigns to protect local journalism and diversity in media ownership.
Free Press: A major media and technology advocacy group, Free Press has been vocal in opposing consolidation. The organization files public comments with the FCC, engages in public education campaigns, and challenges pro-merger arguments in both regulatory filings and the media.
Democracy Defenders Fund (DDF): This nonpartisan group, which brings together lawyers and activists, is directly involved in the Nexstar-Tegna merger issue. Following the Jimmy Kimmel incident, DDF sent a letter to Nexstar demanding answers about its conduct and raising concerns about the merger’s implications for free speech.

Labor unions

National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-Communications Workers of America (NABET-CWA): This labor union is an outspoken opponent of media consolidation, arguing that it harms workers, drives down wages, and hurts local journalism. Following the Kimmel controversy, NABET-CWA renewed its call for Congress to prevent deregulation that enables more mergers.

Racial justice and diversity groups

United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry: This organization is a longtime advocate for media justice and diversity in ownership. It has joined other civil rights groups in opposing the weakening of media ownership caps, arguing that consolidation harms localism and diversity.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC): This group has filed comments with the FCC opposing the relaxation of media ownership rules. AAJC and other civil rights organizations argue that media consolidation hurts ownership diversity and benefits large companies at the expense of local communities.

News and media organizations

Rebuild Local News: This group focuses on finding solutions for the crisis facing local news and directly opposes consolidation as a core issue. The organization produces research and analysis arguing that mega-mergers damage competition and community-based journalism.
Writers Guild of America (WGA): This union representing writers has historically fought against media consolidation. They have issued reports documenting the broken promises of media mega-mergers and the need for stronger antitrust enforcement.

How to get involved

Citizens can align with these organizations in several ways to support their efforts:

Sign petitions and join campaigns: Many groups launch campaigns and petitions to generate public pressure on regulators and companies.
Donate: Financial support helps these organizations fund legal challenges, research, and public education.
Participate in action alerts: Organizations often issue alerts directing members to contact their elected officials, the FCC, or company executives on specific issues.
Join local chapters: Many national groups have local chapters or work with regional partners that can help amplify local concerns about specific station buyouts or programming changes.

The Legacy of Bretton Woods

Wayne King — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 00:47:23 GMT

Last Light on the Mount Washington Hotel

Signed Originals Open-Edition Prints

Legends, lore, fact, and fantasy abound about the historic meeting in the waning days of the Second World War at the famed Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods that created “The Bretton Woods International Monetary Agreement”.

The historic agreement reached in Bretton Woods is still relevant, though no longer considered the prevailing agreement for trade between countries. First and foremost, Bretton Woods established institutions (The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund) and norms, as well as related succeeding agreements and policies that would continue to make the United States the preeminent force in guaranteeing the stability and transparency of trade.

This is especially pertinent to the dollar as the global currency and the legal and military infrastructure that ensures relative stability and the free flow of trade goods between countries.

Events, agreements, outcomes, and “shoulda-coulda-beens” in the mists and meandering of time are always crafted by humans who see things from differing perspectives. Most of the time, this results in interpretations that only raise more questions as historians struggle to understand important threads in the human story. The more turbulent the times, the more understanding is challenged, and the longer it takes for anything resembling a consensus to emerge. The author Jonathan Rauch writes convincingly about this in his book “The Constitution of Knowledge” - required reading for any eager amateur historian, particularly those confused by the meanderings of specific events.

However, despite this, there is no question that the storied conference at Bretton Woods, establishing the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank as well as the generally accepted international trade system has played an important part in establishing the international economic order since 1944 even as it has gradually been phased out since 1971, when Richard Nixon decoupled gold from the dollar in the International Trade concensus.

From a historic point of view, it is clear that all of the momentum moving into the negotiations in 1944 was on the side of the United States.

Britain, which had previously held the advantages of a sizable colonial empire as well as the principal trading currency, at the beginning of the War, was fighting to stay alive financially before the US actually entered the war.

All the financial and military advantage of the ground had shifted to the US and it created what became an insurrmountable advantage to the United States that held 80% of the world’s gold and 75% of the (servicable) military might, with warships capable of policing the International trade routes as well as a legal infrastructure that assured a rule of law structure that other nations could rely upon to create a level playing field as countries struggled to rebuild their economies and trading relationships.

As a quick primer on the economic order before and after Bretton Woods, it’s useful to know the following:

Before the 19th century, the system for international exchange (trade of goods and services) was quite chaotic; conducted on what, today, we would consider a barter system. Countries traded with one another through a set of bi-lateral or multi-party agreements (see below). There was no single system that all countries agreed upon, so it was necessary to have individual agreements with each country with which they did business.

Not surprisingly, during the years preceding the 1870s, the most reliable country for purposes of establishing trade was Great Britain for several reasons. Britain had earlier adopted gold as its standard of exchange and, of course, at the time it was said that “The sun never set on the British Empire” - in and of itself creating a huge advantage to the Brits.

In the 1870s Germany adopted gold as their standard for trading, aligning it with Great Britain. This created a critical mass that other countries could get behind to make their own process less chaotic. By adopting the “International Gold Standard - as it came to be known - they were able to craft multi-lateral trade exchanges with any country that also adopted the gold standard.

This system lasted from 1871 to 1914 and for the first time in world history an established trading system was created that brought a structure to the international economy. World War I, however, and its aftermath, including the Great Depression, brought the entire world’s trading system to a crisis point.

Britain abandoned the gold standard in 1931, creating chaos in the International markets, and the US and Germany soon followed.

Britain abandoned the gold standard in 1931 due to the Great Depression's economic pressures and a significant outflow of gold.

The move to suspend the gold standard had immediate consequences, including a devaluation of the British pound, making British goods more competitive internationally and boosting exports. However, it also led to a loss of value for foreign investments in Britain.

The global economic downturn of the 1930s significantly impacted Britain, leading to decreased demand for British goods and a large outflow of gold as investors sought safer currencies.

As it became more clear that WWII was nearing its end a concensus developed among most of the worlds countries that it would be imperative to develop a trading system that would allow countries, most of which were deeply in debt, to rebuild their economies.

Historian Benn Steil, whose recent account of the Bretton Woods Conference described the price of an agreement that would save the British economy as a “Faustian Bargain” for Britain.

Britain would survive at the enormous cost of its empire and its world economic primacy. It would mean ending the imperial trade preference enjoyed with its colonies. Britain would also need funds for a bridge loan to allow them to survive the first few years of peace.

FDR was not particularly interested in the conference, though he understood its importance. The real driver from the US side was Henry Morgenthau at the Treasury - a close personal friend of FDR, but also not an economist. Morganthau relied largely on Harry Dexter White, a brilliant economist who was a working-class stiff, one of 7 children from a middle-class Lithuanian Jewish immigrant family.

The US Treasury saw all this as the opportunity to break the stranglehold that Britain had over the International economy, including giving up the primacy of sterling. The US Dollar became the basic currency of world trade.

The collapse of British colonial power was practically scripted by the US Treasury, and within a few years, the British colonial empire was a distant memory.

So just three weeks after D-Day, 700 delegates from 44 nations converged on Bretton Woods. Already favorably disposed to support the US version of a “Bretton Woods Agreement”. Despite the fact that the main player on the British team was the world’s very first Rock Star economist, John Maynard Keynes. Keynes was playing with less than a full deck. His efforts were doomed from the beginning because Britain was broke.

FDR may have had little interest in monetary policy, but he did have an interest in making things happen. He chose Bretton Woods for one simple reason: New Hampshire Senator Charles Tobey, a Republican, was up for re-election, and FDR wanted to get a Republican in his corner to create an outcome that was bipartisan. A keen observer of politics and history, FDR faulted Wilson for his failure to end WWI with an agreement that united the country. He made sure to give Toby “premium billing” and won over Toby in the process.

Senator Charle Tobey

Ultimately, the terms of Bretton Woods would make the US the world’s leader on trade and even as some policies would change over the coming years the United State’s economic leadership would be retained by virtue of the fact that they had the military power ( through both the US and NATO) to guaranty the free flow of trade goods and the stability of rule of law to settle disputes as an honest broker.

This uneasy status quo would probably have persisted well into the future but for the election of Donald Trump in 2024.

The first Trump presidency in 2016 saw some minor rumblings about replacing the dollar as the exchange currency, but the markets were not confident enough in any of the currency alternatives, including BRIC countries, and were especially skeptical that the rule of law would continue to govern under any of the alternatives. Furthermore, there were enough competent people appointed to posts in the US government who could assert a moderating influence on President Trump to temper the President’s more reckless inclinations.

The environment today has changed dramatically. World leaders have rapidly lost confidence in the stability of their relations with the US and despite President Trump’s claims that tarriffs would be a boon to the American economy - an assertion strongly countered by most economists - and his promise to have 99 deals in 99 days, few “deals” have been done and none have actually been signed. World leaders are actively developing relationships with countries that would permit them to circumvent the US.

Lawlessness and a golden age of grift are threatening the stability of our Rule of Law system. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which for years had acted as a powerful constraint on corrupt practices between US businesses and corrupt government and private sector officials, has been abandoned. Elon Musk and DOGE have wiped out much of the qualified civil service that keeps embassies serving our interests, prevents terrorists from getting a foothold in our country, keeps air travel safe, and food and medicines reliably non-toxic and effective, and the list goes on.

Ten years ago, I would have predicted that the 21st century still belonged to America. I wouldn’t be so bold as to make that assertion today.

Notes:

Harry Dexter White

https://spartacus-educational.com/Harry_Dexter_White.htm

John Maynard Keynes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Maynard_Keynes

Ocean Born Columbine

Roaring Fork Dawn

A Rainbow of Daisies

No Kings Protest Poster

Signed Edition

Unsigned Open Edition

Esheheman's Breath

About Wayne King and Anamaki Chronicles Substack

Wayne is a North American "mutt" with a family heritage that winds through his Native American, Canadian and US Colonial roots. His love for the philosophical founding documents and sacred stories and dreams of the Iroquois Confederacy, the US Revolutionary Founders, and the sacred artist, musicans, writers and poets whose works and images are a celebration of the circle of life are the source of his inspiration. His images blend the real and the surreal to achieve a sense of place or time that reaches beyond the moment into what he calls "a dreamlike quintessentialism" designed to spark an emotional response. Using digital enhancement, handcrafting, painting, and sometimes even straight photography, King seeks to take the viewer to a place that is beyond simple truth to where truth meets passion, hope and dreams. Join the mailing list and be first to see new images and to receive special offers on cards, prints, limited editions and more.

Wayne lives on the “Narrows” in Bath, NH at the confluence of the Connecticut and Ammonoosuc Rivers and proudly flies the American, Iroquois and Abenaki Flags, attesting to both his ancestry and his spiritual ties. Anamaki is a derivative of an Algonquin word meaning “abiding hope”.

Art, Columns and Podcasts are produced at Anamaki Productions, Winter Warrior Studios in Bath, NH.

Author, podcaster, artist, activist, social entrepreneur and recovering politician. A three-term State Senator, 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor. His art (WayneDKing.com) is exhibited nationally in galleries and he has published five books of his images, most recently, "New Hampshire - a Love Story”. His novel "Sacred Trust" - a vicarious, high-voltage adventure to stop a private power line - as well as the photographic books are available at most local bookstores or on Amazon.

Anamaki Chronicles Substack has no paywall, we exist through the generosity of subscribers and the purchase of art , books and merch from the Anamaki.com website and from Wayne’s gallery of images.

Land Acknowledgement

This land lies in N’dakinna, the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Sokoki, Koasek, Pemigewasset, Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples past and present. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude those who have stewarded N’dakinna throughout the generations.

Look Homeward

Wayne King — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 20:31:48 GMT

The Field Trip

Signed Images

NH DOE Competency-Based Standards

Dear Governor,

Wasting Public Dollars on Private Education is not just unconstitutional, it’s bad for our kids and terrible for our Democracy. Reforming Public Education is a better way forward.

April 27, 2025

Dear Governor,

While we have never met before, my impressions of you over the years have led me to believe that you are a person of integrity who is willing to take some risks in the interest of good public policy.

New Hampshire is not alone among states where private interests are seeking, for whatever reason, to funnel more and more public dollars into private educational institutions.

They may have the best of intentions, but the effect, nonetheless, is the same. It is consistent with a near-50-year trend, resulting in the transfer of wealth from middle and working-class families, that has led to the greatest disparity of wealth in our nation’s history.

In New Hampshire, the means for achieving this result has been what are termed “Education Freedom Accounts.” which translates into the Freedom to transfer the hard-earned dollars of average folks to those who choose to opt out of the American educational compact, first established through the genius of John Adams in the Massachusetts and New Hampshire constitutions.

The public education of our children lies at the heart of building a stronger sense of community, and public education was the key to what Adams and many of our founders felt was essential to the long-term health of democracy.

In fairness, public dissatisfaction with our public education system has been growing for a long time.

We all bear some responsibility for permitting this to happen. Not out of malice, but at least in part because we have not had a leader who could marshal our imaginations toward a vision of something better. I think you could be that kind of leader.

Let me be clear about something here. I’m not talking about “tax reform.”

The lines on that matter have been pretty well drawn over the years. I crashed my own Kamikaze plane into that aircraft carrier myself back in 1994, and yet today, we are still fighting over it. All the while ignoring what we could be doing to clarify the mission, especially in ways that serve the long-term and career interests of our kids.

I’m talking about genuine reform of the way that we educate our kids to prepare them for success in this new world.

Frankly, I’m betting that adapting our system may help resolve the funding question as well over the long-run, because a system of education that strengthens our sense of community, our democracy, and our faith in our direction and the future of our children will help create a consensus, as time goes by, for the level of spending that is appropriate to the challenges we face.

We have some great resources in New Hampshire who can be helpful to you. RMC Research in Portsmouth has been a leader over the years in innovative change, in fact, Everett Barnes, the CEO, was the teacher who changed my own life back in elementary school and he was a source of inspiration for my own zeal to reform our public schools back when I was in the State Senate and then as a candidate for Governor.

Tom Raffio, of Delta Dental, who has been a hero of mine since he helped my Alice found the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium Foundation, has been working with the NH Coalition for Business and Education to advocate for Competency-Based education. He has proven to be the kind of leader in NH that could help marshal public support.

Tony Wagner, of Holderness, is one of the foremost authorities in the world on educational effectiveness, and Fred Bramante, who has worked tirelessly since I first met him as an opponent in that same race for Governor, has dedicated countless hours over more than 20 years to helping develop a new set of “Competency-based standards” for our public schools.

These standards bring us from the era of education defined by “seat time” to an era where competency defines the bounds of our kid's dreams, where children have a passion for learning, and graduate from high school already on a glide path to a meaningful career.

Now, Fred is a very charismatic fellow, but he is not the Governor. Seizing upon the work he has done with others to craft these new standards for “competency-based learning” could become the thing you are most remembered for years from now, especially if you use this as an opportunity to not only reform the way we learn together but also if you use it as the opportunity to redirect our gaze homeward to our public schools.

I recognize that this final suggestion will be the most difficult for you, but it will also speak the most loudly to both the families of our kids and the amazing educators who truly do want the best for them.

I suggest that you announce your intention to END Educational Freedom Accounts on a timetable fair to those who have recently enrolled their children, with the goal of implementing a rigorous system of Competency-Based Learning and returning the public funds to the public schools to make our schools the model for reinventing public education in the US.

There will be some, on all sides of these questions, who will be critical of what I have said here, and there will be some who feel that I have professed too much faith in your integrity and vision, but I have always prided myself on being a radical centrist first and foremost. That is the reason I am no longer associated with either political party.

My political days are behind me, but I still dream of a day when our schools are once again the center of our communities. I stand ready to help in any way I can to make that happen.

You can be the Governor who really launches us on this path, beginning with the appointment of the next commissioner of Education. The standards, ten years in the making, have already been adopted by the State Board, but the commitment to them has been uninspired at best. The challenge is in their implementation. It is a legacy that will be remembered long after you are gone from public life.

Notes:

NH Secrets, Legends & Lore Podcast with Fred Bramante

Listen to the podcast here:

Podetize Podcast | Apple Podcast | Podbean Podcast | Spotify Podcast

Watch on YouTube here:

National Center for Competency-Based Learning

https://www.nccbl.org/

About the author: Wayne has a Masters Degree in Earth & Space Science Education from UNH. An Author, podcaster, artist, activist, social entrepreneur and recovering politician, following 12 years of service in the NH House and Senate; He was the 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor and now a registered Independent. His art (WayneDKing.com) is exhibited nationally in galleries and he has published five books of his images, most recently, "New Hampshire - a Love Story”. His novel "Sacred Trust" - a vicarious, high-voltage adventure to stop a private powerline - as well as the photographic books are available at most local bookstores or on Amazon. He lives on the “Narrows” in Bath, NH at the confluence of the Connecticut and Ammonoosuc Rivers and proudly flies the American, Iroquois and Abenaki Flags, attesting to both his ancestry and his spiritual ties. His publishing website is: Anamaki.com. Anamaki is a derivative of an Algonquin word meaning “abiding hope”, crafted by Alice Vartanian King his wife of 35 years who died in 2018. Fittingly, the term also has roots in both the Armenian and Persian languages of her own familial heritage. Alice, among many accomplishments, served in the Carter Presidential administration as the Administrator of the National Commission for Juvenile Justice; she was also the founder of the Massachusetts Civil Liberties Foundation and the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium Foundation.

Art, Columns and Podcasts produced at Anamaki.com’s Winter Warrior Studios in Bath, NH.

This land lies in N’dakinna, the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Sokoki, Koasek, Pemigewasset, Pennacook, and Wabanaki People, past and present. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude those who have stewarded N’dakinna throughout the generations.

Ready, Fire, Aim

Wayne King — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 01:23:24 GMT

The firehose of outrage in the first two weeks of the Trump Presidency is no coincidence. Nor is the alignment between the goals of Project 2025 and the actions of a President who claimed not to know anything about it during the campaign. We knew he was lying then so why should we be surprised?

Knowing which outrage to take aim at is tough. There are good reasons to be discouraged by any of the many actions taken by a President who has no respect for the Constitution or the Rule of Law.

The offenses seem to fall broadly into two catagories. Offenses against our privacy, liberty and freedoms and offenses against common sense and the Constitutional order. . . and then there is the corruption and rapacious grifts of the plutocrats rivaling any that Putin rolled out for his buddies in Russia.

Today I’ve set my sights on the largest and most comprehensive case of “Identity Theft” in American history that has just occurred right in public view.

We know the thieves - Elon Musk, and (though he has been silent, his partner in DOGE, Vivek Ramaswami. They claim that is has been done on behalf of Donald Trump, though Trump has been completely silent on the matter.

If this was a simple crime like auto theft or shoplifting the “common” criminals would be in jail right now, in many cases until determination of guilt or innocence was established. But that was then and this is now. The United States has shifted from a country where you were innocent until proven guilty to a country where you are guilty until proven rich. . . and I don’t need to tell you where the perpetrators of this crime are on this continuum.

“The United States has shifted from a country where you are innocent until proven guilty to a country where you are guilty until proven rich.” ~ Wayne King

When the crime is something as pedestrian as shoplifting or car theft, the risk to all of us was purely personal and transparent. With Musk’s crime, there is no telling how profoundly we will be affected. For all we know Musk has already discovered a dozen ways that he can use this information, not only against American citizens but also to give him a competitive advantage in the marketplace against his competitors.

While I feel no sympathy for the sycophants that got top billing at Trump’s innauguration, who undoubtedly have to be concerned about what they are witnessing in the moment, I do feel enormous sympathy for the thousands of entrepreneurs who will be crowded out of the market because Elon and Vivek have a competitive advantage conferred upon them through a corrupt dance with the devil.

We have given two billionaires the private financial and personal “keys to the Kingdom” with no way to protect us from abuse of that information.

So why, you may ask, do I say that these two billionaires should be jailed until the matter of their theft is resolved. Can’t Trump just pardon Musk for acting illegally? Yes, I suppose so, but right now, Trump can hide behind the illegal actions of his subordinates. Elon and Vivek can do their thing. They can steal the social security numbers and private data of citizens to benefit their own investors. They can give their companies a competitive edge over others.

Unelected, unvetted by the Senate, with no portfolio answerable to noone.

This is madness, this is unAmerican, this is dangerous. We must stand against it or we may never restore the America we have known.

About Wayne King and Anamaki Chronicles Substack

Author, podcaster, artist, activist, social entrepreneur and recovering politician. A three-term State Senator, 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor. His art (WayneDKing.com) is exhibited nationally in galleries and he has published five books of his images, most recently, "New Hampshire - a Love Story”. His novel "Sacred Trust" - a vicarious, high-voltage adventure to stop a private power line - as well as the photographic books are available at most local bookstores or on Amazon.

Anamaki Chronicles Substack has no paywall, we exist through the generosity of subscribers and the purchase of art , books and merch from the Anamaki.com website and from Wayne’s gallery of images.

Wayne lives on the “Narrows” in Bath, NH at the confluence of the Connecticut and Ammonoosuc Rivers and proudly flies the American, Iroquois and Abenaki Flags, attesting to both his ancestry and his spiritual ties. Anamaki is a derivative of an Algonquin word meaning “abiding hope”.

Art, Columns and Podcasts are produced at Anamaki Productions, Winter Warrior Studios in Bath, NH.

Land Acknowledgement

This land lies in N’dakinna, the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Sokoki, Koasek, Pemigewasset, Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples past and present. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude those who have stewarded N’dakinna throughout the generations.

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“The Spirit of Sister Turtle”

The turtle is a sacred symbol among many Native nations. The story of this particular sea turtle, crafted in the fashion of my “Spirit collection” is an interesting one. Seven-year-old Zach, our son, and I were on a beach in Nicaragua when she rose from the surf and headed for higher ground on the beach to lay her eggs. After she had completed her sacred task, Zach helped a turtle conservator carefully dig up the eggs for reburial in a less public place where the survival of the young was far more likely.

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The Nuclear Option on Democracy

Wayne King — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 03:44:52 GMT

Well, week one of the new Trump administration has passed. Sadly, in my opinion, it has been darker and more malevolent than I had feared. It is clear that we are now seeing Trump 2.0 and it does not look promising for our democratic institutions.

If Trump 1.0 was “Trump as buffoon” 2.0 is now “Trump as tyrant.”

The most blatantly obvious of the actions of Trump 2.0 was an executive order directly contravening the constitutional provision for birthright citizenship. Donald Trump falsely claims that “as we all know, the US is the only country that provides birthright citizenship.”

Were that true, it would only make the intent of the Founders clearer. However, despite President Trump’s blatant lie, more than 30 nations have birthright citizenship equal to ours, and nearly 100 have some form of birthright citizenship.

The judge in the case, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee, described the executive order. as “blatantly unconstitutional.” Yet, he has issued only a temporary stay on the Presidential Executive Order in anticipation of hearing the case.

You’ve heard the phrase before: “The Nuclear Option”.

Up until now, it has been the threat by one political party or another to disrupt the accepted norms and standards that have developed over time to encourage our elected officials to seek a consensus that both parties can live with.

The last time that The Nuclear Option was invoked, it was just a tactical nuke. It wasn’t intended to blow up our democracy, just to secure an advantage for Republicans and it led to the packing of the current US Supreme Court and ultimately to two major SCOTUS decisions that may be paving the way for a much more dangerous threat to democracy itself.

I’ve been pretty clear since I began to write this column that I am disgusted with the leadership in both political parties, and in general, there is a growing and dangerous lack of faith in our institutions in general, with the Supreme Court the latest target. Yet overall, with the notable exception of SCOTUS, the Judicial branch of government has held the line for democracy better than the executive and legislative.

There have been plenty of Supreme Court decisions that both sides find objectionable but the two SCOTUS decisions - Dobbs and Trump Vs. United States - particularly in light of the threats posed by Project 2025, threaten to rend the fabric of democracy- perhaps beyond repair.

The Dobbs case has shown that the deeply corrupted US Supreme Court will not hesitate to overrule even precedent that has been the law of the land for 50 years. Furthermore “Trump Vs. United States”, the 2024 case that dramatically broadened the immunity of the President for otherwise illegal acts committed within the scope of his official duties, virtually creates carte blanche authority to engage in activity outside the scope of the law for the President and within his Pardon authority for those he authorizes to engage in such activities.

In order to make the case for the grave, inherent danger we face we need to revisit a civics lesson that most Americans should know about, but few actually do. Public education in at least the past two decades has nearly obliterated Civics in schools, what, at one time, was common knowledge . . . The 1803 case of “Marbury vs. Madison”.

Marbury v. Madison was not a particularly “sexy” case. It involved a “turf battle” between presidential administrations over an appointment that had been made improperly by the outgoing administration of John Adams resulting in its rejection by the incoming Jefferson Administration.

Nowadays we would see the actual court case as a bit of a snooze. However, in the early years of our Republic, sometimes even the most seemingly trivial cases were important because every case was building precedent for future decisions.

In deciding the outcome of the court case the Supreme Court made a ruling on the specific question (Adams appointment was not seated). More importantly, it used the case to establish an important doctrine known as “judicial review”, which gives the Supreme Court the power to strike down laws that violate the Constitution.

As a result of this:

The Supreme Court established judicial review, which gives the courts the power to strike down laws that violate the Constitution.
The Supreme Court became the primary interpreter of the Constitution.
The judiciary became a co-equal branch of government, alongside the executive and legislative branches.

“But wait”, you say! (because you are a thoughtful citizen). What happens if the President just chooses to ignore the court’s ruling? After all, the courts don’t have armies to enforce their mandates. Aren’t they simply relying on the goodwill of the other two branches of government to support their ruling?

Of the three branches of our government, the judicial branch has, by far, the lowest budget, and enforcement of its rulings relies completely upon the acceptance of all three branches of government to provide the authority (and the funding) necessary to hold up this third leg of our co-equal “constitutional stool”.

Fortunately, for most of our history, the three branches have - in fact - come through for us. However, not always. One of the times represents a proud moment in our history. The other a moment of shame.

In 1957 President Dwight D. Eisenhower called in the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas on September 25, 1957 to escort nine Black students into Central High School. The students, known as the "Little Rock Nine", were prevented from attending by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus. Ike was respecting and defending the Supreme Court’s Brown Vs. Board of Education ruling of the Warren Court.

However, one of the great stains of history was Andrew Jackson’s reaction to a ruling by the Marshall Court that the Indian Removal Act was effectively unconstitutional.

In 1832 The John Marshall Court ruled on the Indian Removal Act through the case "Worcester v. Georgia", where Chief Justice John Marshall established that the Cherokee Nation was a sovereign entity protected by federal law and not subject to Georgia state laws, effectively opposing the Indian Removal Act's forced relocation policy.

President Jackson, probably the President most admired by Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, reacted by declaring “ John Marshall has made his ruling - now let him enforce it.” knowing full well that Marshall had no effective way to enforce the ruling. Jackson proceeded to order the removal despite the Courts ruling.

Jackson’s refusal to respect the Supreme Court ruling led to what most Americans will remember as an act of genocide against peaceful native nations, today known as “The Trail of Tears;” a forced removal of Native American People that resulted in thousands of deaths from starvation and disease among the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw nations, among others.

Fast forward to today.

One year ago, JD Vance was asked about Project 2025’s call to remove civil servants throughout the federal government. He specifically referred to Jackson’s remarks in defiance of the Court in his response.

Then, after taking office on January 20, 2025, Donald Trump issued his recent Executive Order directly in opposition to the US Constitution.

When the two highest elected officials in the country blatantly defy the Constitution, creating their own version of our sacred document by fiat, The poison has moved into the bloodstream.

Without the respect for and adherence to the Constitution, there’s not a lot worth holding onto . . . maybe Canada? Tune in next week for my thoughts on that.

About Wayne King and Anamaki Chronicles Substack

Author, podcaster, artist, activist, social entrepreneur and recovering politician. A three-term State Senator, 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor. His art (WayneDKing.com) is exhibited nationally in galleries and he has published five books of his images, most recently, "New Hampshire - a Love Story”. His novel "Sacred Trust" - a vicarious, high-voltage adventure to stop a private power line - as well as the photographic books are available at most local bookstores or on Amazon.

Anamaki Chronicles Substack has no paywall, we exist through the generosity of subscribers and the purchase of art , books and merch from the Anamaki.com website and from Wayne’s gallery of images.

Wayne lives on the “Narrows” in Bath, NH at the confluence of the Connecticut and Ammonoosuc Rivers and proudly flies the American, Iroquois and Abenaki Flags, attesting to both his ancestry and his spiritual ties. Anamaki is a derivative of an Algonquin word meaning “abiding hope”.

Art, Columns and Podcasts are produced at Anamaki Productions, Winter Warrior Studios in Bath, NH.

Land Acknowledgement

This land lies in N’dakinna, the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Sokoki, Koasek, Pemigewasset, Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples past and present. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude those who have stewarded N’dakinna throughout the generations.

Notes:

Marbury v. Madison Details: Oyez.org

https://www.oyez.org/cases/1789-1850/5us137

Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marbury_v._Madison

The Enduring Legacy of Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Time Stands Still for No Man

Abstract monochrome image combining a self-portrait captured as a young man with an abstract image from my hellebore series.

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We the People are the Rightful Caretakers

Wayne King — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 15:40:57 GMT

We the People are the Rightful Masters

November 5, 2024

Although I recall this treasured memory publicly with some degree of trepidation for the embarrassment of riches it holds when I look back on the 35 years I was blessed to share a life with a most remarkable woman; Alice Vartanian King; I ask your indulgence for sharing it with you because of the power it lends to this moment for me.

It may be that history will prove my gut feelings about the outcome of this election wrong. I will gladly eat the crow involved if my dreams exceed the day, but I am convinced that by the end of this process Kamala Harris will be our President-elect resoundingly.

In both my public life and our private one, Alice was never reluctant to provide constructive criticism to me when it was appropriate and I always took it seriously because she had a rare and perceptive understanding of human nature and a remarkable empathy for people of all different perspectives - coupled with a BS detector that allowed her to cut through the unimportant to the heart of the matter at hand.

She was also fiercely protective of the people she loved and freely offered compliments that demonstrated that love and respect. But the most memorable compliment she ever gave me was a “compliment” delivered with a healthy dose of tongue in cheek. Of all she said to me over those years there was no compliment I treasured more than those moments when Alice would tell me that I was a woman in a past life.

Now Alice was no flake, she had a deeply spiritual soul, but neither of us were arrogant enough to see the truth of what lies beyond as adequately described by anything more than the Native American concept of “the great mystery”. She wasn’t suggesting that she embraced some concept of past lives or any other dogma that any organized religion insists constitutes truth.

It was her way of reaching into the deepest possible connection that we could share and encouraging me to give voice to that part of me.

Over the years I think it is fair to say that together we crafted an outlook and political philosophy that I have come to call Radical Centrism. It is a belief that is based on respect for even those who disagree with us and a willingness, an eagerness even, to seek common ground, even if we need to build it from the ground up.

I know that it is too early to declare victory, none of us should rest until the last poll closes, but I can see it in the eyes of my fellow citizens. . . even those who will vote against Kamala Harris today. “All of us share”, as Bobby Kennedy Sr said in 1968, “one precious possession - the name American.”

Based on the campaign that Kamala Harris has conducted I am deeply hopeful that she will reach out to see and to grasp what my Alice did: that everyone matters . . . or no one matters. Everyone has a part to play in building our future, from the most modest family and community organization to the hallowed halls of Congress and the White House.

I believe she will be a great President and a great President knows how to marshall our dreams and fill our sails with the winds of hope, determination and purpose. She has shown us this through the course of her campaign.

I hope that she will take a page from my grandfather’s people, the Haudenousanee - aka the Iroquois - who more than 500 years ago, well before our own independence, established the first democracy on this continent. The responsibility of a leader according to Haudenousanee tradition is to serve, and to dream for, not only the next few years but the next “Seven Generations”.

Now, on to the point brought on by Alice’s wisdom and her compliment.

Although these last ten years have been filled with heartache and disappointment over the divisions, missteps, and lost opportunities in our beloved country, I am so grateful to have the opportunity to see what I have every confidence will be the election of our first President of the female persuasion. I wish that Alice could have seen it with me but I will be celebrating her when I celebrate the election of Kamala Harris.

I hope that the patriotism and optimism expressed by Kamala Harris will lead her to a table that is set for all of us and that brings her to a place where both the exigencies of the day and the next seven generations will be blessed by the strong, nurturing and brilliant woman that exists in the hearts of every man, woman, and child here.

About the Anamaki Chronicles Substack
This Substack has no paywall, we exist through the generosity of subscribers and the purchase of art from the gallery of images. Paid subscribers are thanked annually with a signed original print from Wayne.

About Wayne D. King: Author, podcaster, artist, activist, social entrepreneur and recovering politician. A three-term State Senator, 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor. His art (WayneDKing.com) is exhibited nationally in galleries and he has published five books of his images, most recently, "New Hampshire - a Love Story”. His novel "Sacred Trust" - a vicarious, high-voltage adventure to stop a private powerline - as well as the photographic books are available at most local bookstores or on Amazon. He lives on the “Narrows” in Bath, NH at the confluence of the Connecticut and Ammonoosuc Rivers and proudly flies the American, Iroquois and Abenaki Flags, attesting to both his ancestry and his spiritual ties. His publishing website is: Anamaki.com. Anamaki is a derivative of an Algonquin word meaning “abiding hope”, crafted by Alice Vartanian King his wife of 35 years who died in 2018. Fittingly, the term also has roots in both the Armenian and Persian languages of her own familial heritage. Alice, among many accomplishments, served in the Carter Presidential administration as the Administrator of the National Commission for Juvenile Justice; she was also the founder of the Massachusetts Civil Liberties Foundation and the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium Foundation.

Art, Columns and Podcasts produced at Anamaki Studios in Bath, NH.

This land lies in N’dakinna, the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Sokoki, Koasek, Pemigewasset, Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples past and present. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude those who have stewarded N’dakinna throughout the generations.

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The Depths to Which We Have Plunged

Wayne King — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 18:08:52 GMT

Canada Geese and Rowboats on Newfound Lake

For the moment, set aside the specific lies and disagreements of the VP debate: The fact that JD Vance refused to acknowledge that Donald Trump had lost the 2020 election; the fact that he is on the record supporting a national ban on abortion, but said that he had never favored a ban; that Vance claimed Donald Trump as the savior of the Affordable Care act, when time after time the former President sought to kill it and it was only saved through the good graces of the late Senator John McCain.

Set aside the Walz gaff over Tieneman Square or his rather stiff stage presence early on in the debate.

Set aside the missed opportunities for both parties to score points.

It was a relatively civil debate, reminiscent of how we used to be.

Yet the partisans are at wits end over the outcome.

If it shows anything, it shows the depths to which we have sunken in our public dialog and in the lack of faith in the independent role that the media SHOULD play in the process.

As a former politician I am not polyannish about politics. I know it is a contact sport but Donald Trump has taken it to new depths. That is the central issue, even in a debate among Vice Presidential candidates.

Granted, the depths to which we have sunken have largely to do with the person who was not on stage. The civility of the Vice Presidential debate highlights the deranged nature of the candidate who was NOT there: Donald Trump.

I won’t sugar-coat it. Donald Trump is very clearly a threat to our democracy. He consistently tells us so himself. I cannot stress enough how important it is to not only defeat him but to do so decisively. If anything, the debate highlights how important it is for us to move on. If there is any chance of the Republican party re-emerging after this election, they need to rid themselves of the cancer that has grown to a terminal stage.

In better times we could have counted on the “independent” media to parse the debate and call out the lies, half-truths and gaffs of the candidates; and from that process - the interplay of partisans, an independent media and a public hungry for leadership that provides us with hope and direction in service of American ideals, we the people would make our choice.

I sympathize with the Democratic partisans who fear that alarm is a key component to defeating Donald Trump; and I recognize that soft-peddling the dangers of the Trump/Vance. They will continue to sound the alarm, and they should.

I have faith in the people of this country when it comes to their final judgement. I hope it will lead us back to our noisy and sometimes chaotic democracy - without the heavy dose of crazy.

Images by Wayne D. King
From the Gallery

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Vines in a Floodplain Forest

Trees covered with vines in a floodplain forest. Crafted image.

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Balancing on a Log - Three Ponds in Rumney, NH

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The Apples of Rattlesnake Ridge

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About Wayne D. King: Author, podcaster, artist, activist, social entrepreneur and recovering politician. A three-term State Senator, 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor. His art (WayneDKing.com) is exhibited nationally in galleries and he has published five books of his images, most recently, "New Hampshire - a Love Story”. His novel "Sacred Trust" a vicarious, high-voltage adventure to stop a private powerline as well as the photographic books are available at most local bookstores or on Amazon. He lives on the “Narrows” in Bath, NH at the confluence of the Connecticut and Ammonoosuc Rivers and proudly flies the American, Iroquois and Abenaki Flags, attesting to both his ancestry and his spiritual ties. His publishing website is: Anamaki.com. Anamaki is a derivative of an Algonquin word meaning “abiding hope”.

Art, Columns and Podcasts produced at Anamaki Studios in Bath, NH.

This land lies in N’dakinna, the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Sokoki, Koasek, Pemigewasset, Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples past and present. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude those who have stewarded N’dakinna throughout the generations.

It's the Children Stupid . . .

Wayne King — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 20:04:38 GMT

Life’s a Beach

The fantasy that we can build a new American Century simply by encouraging the folks who look like us, and who are already here, to have more children reveals the Nationalist's dark inclinations. It has never been true. NEVER. Other countries, most being controlled by “strongmen”, are trying their hands at it as well . . . watering the fields of economic catastrophe. Wise countries will spin pluralism into gold.

JD Vance’s “Cat Ladies” comments and the backfilling he has since attempted, after first “stepping in it”, unveils a much darker, unspoken secret. One with echoes that reach beyond denying women their bodily autonomy into the depths of institutional racism, misogeny, immigration and other issues that most of us had hoped were in the rearview mirrors of history.

In his convoluted, simplistic and ill-conceived rationalizations and excuses Vance expresses well-worn and wishful longings for a country where we add new and copious numbers of children who grow into docile workers who look and think just like him, are easy to herd and do not complicate our lives by adding their cultures, beliefs and colors to our national tapestry.

The national reaction to his remarks were, understandably, focused on the reactions of Americans to the Dobbs decision. Most Americans, no matter where they come down on the abortion issue, believe that such intensely personal medical decisions should simply not be the perview of government.

My own first reaction to Dobbs and the ensuing remarks of Senator Vance were purely personal. Five emotionally painful miscarriages - each with its own accompanying plunge into darkness and grief and dispair taught Alice and I the hard way that sometimes trying to start a family comes with a lot of heartache and expense as well as difficult choices.

By most of the definitions developed by the states that have used the Dobbs decision to create more onerous restrictions on a woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices, we had at least 3 “abortions” proscribed under current laws in those states. Most of those “D&C’s” ocurred relatively late in the pregnancies. By the time we had Zach, our “miracle” baby, we were keeping each pregnancy secret from even our closest friends and family until well after the second trimester.

But the danger to our way of life goes even deeper and reflects the white nationalist agenda in ever more insidious ways.

Most of us are aware that China long ago abandoned its two-child policy, not because it was misogynistic, though it was, but because it was the leading edge of an economic crisis that they most likely will be unable to avert at this point. What you may have missed is a recent announcement by Vladamir Putin that a new goal of 8 children per woman has now been established in Russia as well.

It was not announced to any fanfare, and with good reason. Between Putin’s sacrifice of young Russian men in the war with Ukraine and an already plummeting birthrate among Russians - largely for economic reasons as well as other demographic factors, Russia’s low and still declining birthrate creates a substantial threat to its economic future.

Russia and China are not outliers here among the countries of the world. The demographic shift in countries that cling to nationalist ideologies and “racial purity” place them in the path of an economic wrecking ball of their own making. Their unwillingness to open themselves to immigration - especially from people who may not look like them - is their greatest weakness. It is also our greatest strength.

Ironically, especially if you are a fan of political economist Peter Zeihan, you will sense that what we once thought was the “last” American Century is looking more and more like a new American Century for the United States if we are true to our national creed, with one major caveat.

Can we save our democracy and especially the pluralism that has defined it, despite the many bumps along the way? As a corollary to that - can we come to some rational consensus about the role of immigration that serves the greater good of the country?

Ironically, while many other countries once touted as “up-and-coming” economic powerhouses are on a short-term track to economic catastrophe the United States is better positioned than any other for the new world that is emerging as deglobalization becomes the norm.

Ronald Reagan was right when he reminded us, in his farewell address to the nation, that America constantly recreates itself as a young, vibrant and entrepreneurial country largely because of the vitality and energy of new generations of immigrants who come seeking opportunity and turn it into hard work, love, sacrifice and - often - into gold.

About Wayne D. King: Author, podcaster, artist, activist, social entrepreneur and recovering politician. A three-term State Senator, 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor. His art (WayneDKing.com) is exhibited nationally in galleries and he has published five books of his images, most recently, "New Hampshire - a Love Story”. His novel "Sacred Trust" a vicarious, high-voltage adventure to stop a private powerline as well as the photographic books are available at most local bookstores or on Amazon. He lives on the “Narrows” in Bath, NH at the confluence of the Connecticut and Ammonoosuc Rivers and proudly flies the American, Iroquois and Abenaki Flags, attesting to both his ancestry and his spiritual ties. His publishing website is: Anamaki.com. Anamaki is a derivative of an Algonquin word meaning “abiding hope”.

Art, Columns and Podcasts produced at Anamaki Studios in Bath, NH.

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Solitude in Blue

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An Election to Heal the Heart of America

Wayne King — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 16:09:06 GMT

I know that many will initially read what I have to say here as a Pollyannaish view of the world. . . but please indulge me - hear me out. Hey, I’m a 68-year-old guy who’s spent most of his adult life trying to change the world, trying to get people of different views to listen to one another. I think I’ve earned the right to be pollyannish now and then.

Ask yourself if it is not possible that we love our land, and the American idea that has given us this opportunity, enough to begin to be more gentle with one another and to seek reconciliation instead of division.

Perhaps, in years to come, July 21 of 2024 will become a national touchstone. Remembered as the day that a great American president willingly and unselfishly relinquished the presumed mantle of Presidential Candidate unlocking an entire series of previously closed doors by endorsing his Vice President, a bi-racial woman, to carry the torch for the COUNTRY. Not for the Democratic Party - though she will be listed that way on the ballot - but for Americans of all kinds, colors, and beliefs who treasure the “Blessings of Liberty” and have longed to feel joy and a sense of belonging again.

Even the majority of those who are disposed to vote for Donald Trump, most of whom have simply wanted to believe that the rest of us see them and feel their pain and their longing for hope again - - they are not beyond reach of these dreams.

Let’s face it, the outcome of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 did not represent the beliefs of a large swath of the country, even at the time of its signing. Slave owners never bought into it. We know how that ended. Evangelical and conservative Christians did not take it to heart. Even Jefferson had to act as a peacemaker between the Methodists and the Baptists on the question of the freedom of religion. All of this reflected in the prospective view that we were bound together with the moral imperative to “form a more perfect union.”

For the next 250 years we would labor, painfully, to live up to a creed we knew in our hearts was moral and just but was sometimes not perceived as directly in some of our specific self-interests.

Can you picture it? Leadersip and vision defined by merit: diven by efforts to expand the American dream, creating equity and opportunity for all our citizens. Male, Female, Bi-Racial, Tri-racial, religious or irreligious, irrespective of who you love. A generational change that re-binds us to the ideals of our founders most fervent hopes of freedom, fostered and assured by Democracy. Freedom of speech, bodily autonomy for all men and women, security in our homes and persons, with a deep and abiding commitment to community.

We are all indigenous people.

We are all immigrants.

We are multi-racial, multi-ethnic, American mutts.

And most of us are damn proud of it. . .

We all belong to this land, inheritors of an idea that has fired the imagination of its people and the world, despite the feet of clay that characterized those who crafted it and our own historic failings as we have tried - and sometimes failed - to push that boulder of Freedom and Democracy up the hill.

Whether we appeared more than 20,000 years ago with my grandfather and grandmother’s people, or we came shackled in the hold of a slave ship and have had to fight every day for our piece of the American dream.

Whether our forebears came on the Mayflower or came to Ellis island and spent generations scratching their way up the ladder of the American dream despite signs that said no Irish/Italians/Mexicans/Jews/Blacks need apply.

The leaders within the Lakota and Cheyenne Nations, inheritors of the mantle of Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, Sitting Bull and Black Elk, have as much right as any Indian nation to resent the legacy of the past as any among us, yet the recent birth of a white buffalo calf in the valley of the Yellowstone, in fulfillment of a 500-year-old prophesy, has highlighted a clarion calls for the healing of our planet and the brotherhood and sisterhood of all “two-leggeds” in community with our four-legged, feathered, and other brothers and sisters.

So, too, have the leaders of the Haudenosaunee, the Iroquois nation, that brought democracy to this land more than 500 years before Columbus arrived and from whom Franklin and Washington both drew inspiration.

Now I’m not saying that all of us are going to join hands with us and sing Kumbayah. That too is their sacred right as Americans.

But I plead guilty to believing in the power of community: The power of our local community and our American community.

We each possess within us the grace to conquer the rural/urban divide. To see beyong the “tribalism” that sometimes pits us against one another, often for no good reason.

In our hearts we know that Dr. King was right when he spoke of a day when we would be judged not by the color of our skin but by the content of our character. And most of us are ready to try, if not to stand proudly, for this principle.

Can we understand and defend the ideal that Freedom cannot exist without Democracy and Democracy serves our people best by maximizing freedom in all its glory?

The challenges we face ahead are daunting and there is nothing more important to their resolution than to strengthen our belief in our local communities and our commitment to the community of all Americans. But those challenges, confronted with grace, humility, tolerance, faith, and wisdom hold the promise of opportunity: the opportunity to create a sustainable planet, the opportunity to use the wonders of AI to tackle the savage disparity of wealth in our country, and the great challenges of disease and wellness.

OK, now you can say it . . . I’m being pollyannish.

Perhaps. But I’m willing to bet that a lot of folks said that about Jefferson, Adams, Washington, Franklin, Hamilton, and all those who gathered in 1776 and 1787 to chart our future . . . knowing full well that failure would cost them their lives.

I’d make the same bet about MLK, Shirley Chisholm, John Lewis, Thurgood Marshall, Bayard Rustin and the thousands of Americans who died to end slavery or marched to secure the right for women to vote and the dream of equality for all people, no matter their color, their religion, or who they chose to love.

One of the last things that Sitting Bull said before his death is this:

“Come let us put our minds together to see what kind of lives we can make for our children.”

So go ahead, call me a pollyanna, but . . .

I’m betting on that White Buffalo.

Notes and links:

The White Buffalo

What We Can All Learn from Bayard Rustin - A Conversation with Richard D. Kahlenberg

Saving Democracy Means Changing the Game

About Wayne

About Wayne D. King: Author, podcaster, artist, activist, social entrepreneur and recovering politician. A three-term State Senator, 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor. His art (WayneDKing.com) is exhibited nationally in galleries and he has published five books of his images, most recently, "New Hampshire - a Love Story”. His novel "Sacred Trust" a vicarious, high-voltage adventure to stop a private powerline as well as the photographic books are available at most local bookstores or on Amazon. He lives on the “Narrows” in Bath, NH at the confluence of the Connecticut and Ammonoosuc Rivers and proudly flies the American, Iroquois and Abenaki Flags. His publishing website is: Anamaki.com.

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Poplar Wind
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Conflagration on Long Pond Road

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Tim Walz is a Homerun

Wayne King — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 00:58:12 GMT

In choosing Tim Walz as her Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has not only made a brilliant choice, she has told us volumes about her own core values as well.

Make no mistake about it, this is a presidential election about core values, not issues. Sure you’ll hear about issues, but what you will hear about most are the very things that make us proud to be Americans: Hope, Optimism, and an abiding faith is a brighter future. Unlike the dark, hateful, and dystopian views of Donald Trump.

When Tim Walz talks about women’s reproductive freedom, he talks about families making choices, not government. He refers to the Minnesota “golden rule”, “Mind your own damn business.”

He proudly declares that he won’t apologize for making sure that kids from his state have full bellies during the school day to be sure that they have the best shot at making their education count. It’s straight talk that a lot of regular folks will identify with and it reflects the core values that Kamala Harris has shown right out of the gate.

Now it’s no secret that I am not a big fan of either political party, so it probably makes sense that I favor a VP choice that knows how to build bridges between people who don’t always agree with one another. Furthermore, I will continue to remind the Democrats that part of the reason that we need to pay closer attention to the middle class is because it has been hollowed out in recent years, with more and more of our citizens falling into the ranks of the working-class and poor.

Both parties have abandoned the working class and the poor, the Republicans just seem to lie about it more effectively right now. If we don’t take seriously the need to give working-class people and the poor - of all colors - a chance to build wealth and equity in our future, we will have failed to truly create opportunity for all Americans and the next Donald Trump and JD Vance that come along will be able to summon them with the siren song of the disenfranchised.

I’m ready to work my heart out for the next 90 days to make sure that the next four years opens up an opportunity for us to truly build a new, vibrant future for all Americans.

About Wayne D. King: Author, podcaster, artist, activist, social entrepreneur and recovering politician. A three-term State Senator, 1994 Democratic nominee for Governor. His art (WayneDKing.com) is exhibited nationally in galleries and he has published five books of his images, most recently, "New Hampshire - a Love Story”. His novel "Sacred Trust" a vicarious, high-voltage adventure to stop a private powerline as well as the photographic books are available at most local bookstores or on Amazon. He lives on the “Narrows” in Bath, NH at the confluence of the Connecticut and Ammonoosuc Rivers and proudly flies the American, Iroquois and Abenaki Flags. His publishing website is: Anamaki.com.

A Cincinnatus Moment for Joe Biden

Wayne King — Sat, 13 Jul 2024 12:47:55 GMT

The Road Darkens
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I have to admit that I’ve become far more sanguine about the hurricane we are about to endure than I was just a few short weeks ago.

That’s largely because it’s clear that there is no obvious path ahead for us that isn’t fraught with peril, and the measure we will ultimately take of ourselves will be determined by how we face the storm when it comes.

Many Native American nations, including those in my own line of ancestry, have a similar set of oral traditions about the place where the “red road” and the “black roads” cross. In essence, the stories recognize that there are times when the red road on which we travel through life comes to an intersection with a black road, representing great danger, great challenges, and grave consequences.

The focus of these stories is not so much on the dangers and difficulties as on the spiritual and personal opportunities they offer us to grow and become our better selves.

We have reached that junction as a nation.

The two great political parties that have developed over the years are now a shadow of their former selves, corrupted by avarice, a lust for power, and sheer arrogance.

It is not much of a leap to expect that the fate of the Republican party has been sealed by Donald Trump and the fawning multitudes of his elected and selected minions. This, by the way, does not include most of the people who will vote for Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Ironically, many of them have gravitated to his side because they are so disillusioned with our government, including both parties, that they would rather see us burn the system down than to continue to bear the indignity of the status quo. Unless I miss my guess, the Republican party is headed for the ash heap of history.

NOW, ask yourself what will happen if President Biden stubbornly clings to the notion that ONLY he can fix this.

These words may have a familiar ring to them:

“Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it."
~ Donald Trump - Republican National Convention July 21, 2016

What will happen if President Biden clings to the same notion and he loses?

The Democratic Party will collapse in a heap of rubble spawned by the anger and resentment of millions of Americans who realize that they have been played by the entire Democratic Party’s establishment and power structure:

From their penchant for hiding the skills and talents of Kamala Harris under a basket for four years when they could have been shining a light on them for all to see;
To those surrounding President Biden and covering for his declining cognitive capabilities;
To those elected leaders who quietly whispered that President Biden should call this a big win and go home NOW, but did not have the courage to speak out when everything was at stake;
To those who loudly claim to “love Joe Biden” but are willing to stay quiet when the result may be that his legacy is forever trashed because a cognitive decline has impeded his judgment on the most consequential decision of his life. This means you too Dr. Jill.

George Washington often liked to refer to the example of the Roman general Cincinnatus, who saved the Roman empire and then promptly retired to his farm. It is not clear whether that was the historically accurate precedent that led to Washington's retirement, or if it is simply a myth based on the legends of the Revolution used to burnish Washington’s reputation as “The Essential American” *.

This is that moment for Joe Biden. If you will forgive me for mixing historical metaphors, it is his Cincinnatus moment at the nexus of the two roads.

But so far President Biden has repeatedly said that he wants to complete the job he started.

There is no “completing the job he started” even our founders spoke of this when they stated in the preamble of the Constitution:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Our goal, now - and for as long as America stands - is an organic and ongoing one: “To (continually seek to) form a more perfect Union.”

Joe Biden has completed his part of the job. He started by defeating Donald Trump in 2020, and led the charge for an astounding string of legislative successes that followed his election. For that we owe him a debt that will echo in history.

Now it is time to yield the ground to a new generation of “warriors” who can do their part in our ongoing quest for a more perfect Union.

Thanks Joe, we’ll take it from here.

Footnotes generated by AI - ChatGPT
“The Essential American”
The label "The Essential American" for George Washington is rooted in his pivotal role in the founding and shaping of the United States. This title emphasizes Washington's embodiment of the ideals, virtues, and leadership qualities that are foundational to American identity and democracy. Here is some context to this characterization:
Leadership in the American Revolution
Commander-in-Chief: Washington served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. His leadership and strategic acumen were crucial in securing American independence from British rule.
Role in the Constitutional Convention
Presiding Officer: Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where the U.S. Constitution was drafted. His presence provided a unifying influence and helped facilitate the creation of a strong federal government.
First President of the United States
Setting Precedents: As the first President of the United States, Washington established many precedents for the executive branch, including the formation of a Cabinet, the title "Mr. President," and the two-term limit, which became a standard until it was codified in the 22nd Amendment.
Symbol of National Unity
Non-Partisanship: Washington's non-partisan stance and his emphasis on national unity over factionalism were significant in the early years of the republic. His Farewell Address famously warned against the dangers of political parties and entangling foreign alliances.
Personal Virtues
Integrity and Humility: Washington was renowned for his integrity, humility, and dedication to public service. He relinquished power voluntarily after two terms as president, setting a democratic example for future leaders.
Legacy and Mythology
American Icon: Washington's legacy has been mythologized and celebrated in American culture. He is often depicted as the quintessential American hero, embodying the virtues of courage, wisdom, and steadfastness. Monuments, currency, and countless other tributes commemorate his contributions to the nation.

The phrase "The Essential American" encapsulates these aspects of Washington's life and legacy, highlighting his indispensable role in the creation and early governance of the United States. His character and actions have come to symbolize the core values and principles upon which the country was founded.

The Gathering Storm Haiku

Spirit Pony in a Settng Sun

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