American women – Oscar Valdes

Cuomo Could Have a New Role in Public Life

Given the mounting evidence that harassment of women in his employ did occur, it seems unlikely the governor will survive the criticism and thus will have to resign.

He has had a good run as governor.

He performed well steering New York through the thick of the pandemic.

So there is much he can rightly be proud of.

In my eyes, he is a solid man who made important contributions to his state and the nation.

I respect the man. And if I ever were to have the opportunity to meet him, I would step up to shake his hand and say thank you for all the good work he did.

But he has his flaws and they have come to haunt him.

Resigning will not be a disaster.

And yes, he could have a new role in public life.

He abused his power but so have thousands and thousands of men throughout the years, most of whom were never held accountable or are now not being held accountable.

This is a new era we are living in and it shows we are evolving as a nation.

Just like voting Trump out of office was a sign of political maturation for the nation. The nation had allowed itself to be dazzled by the man (who had made billions and billions but would not release his tax filings), and then took a breath and realized their poor judgment.

Cuomo has proved himself as a highly capable politician and administrator.

But he abused his power.

The best way to address this flaw is to accept it. Work through the denial and evasion he’s mired in and say to all women, ‘I am sorry I abused my power.’

Having said that, he could then embark on another career in public life. That is, explaining to the American people why he did what he did. How the power he had, led to the corruption of his thinking and to believing he could take advantage of others.

And doing so he would make a huge contribution to the evolution of our society.

Abuse of power in the workplace is very much a present problem in our nation.

We need men of substance, such as Mr Cuomo, men who’re highly capable, to say to the rest of us, ‘No matter how much power we attain, we should not use it to take advantage of others. It is easy to do because others are often dazzled by power.’

‘Women are learning to say no in the face of unwanted advances. We can help by being more thoughtful and to recognize the subtle ways in which unchecked power is used to bring others into submission and how it leads to their demeaning.’

Mr Cuomo is a man of his times. He had great moments as governor and he failed in his treatment of women.

But he could have a new role in public life.

Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net

Andrew Cuomo and The Allegations of Sexual Harassment

It’s been hard for most of us men to learn but learn we must. Women are fast moving into positions of leadership in whatever fields they enter, and they demand that they not be objectified. (as in seen only as sexual beings).

The message is clear. We, men, have been slow to get it.

Women are saying, respect me for what I do, for what I contribute, and do not sexualize me. And, should I choose to be sexualized, I will be sending you a clear signal for you to proceed.

Women are saying, I have a right to look as good as I wish and still expect to not be objectified.

Because Mr Cuomo did not get the message, a competent and sometimes brilliant governor is now standing on the edge of a long political career.

The fact that he has political power made him overconfident and, according to published reports, he overstepped the line.

He still has a chance of not being pushed over the edge and keep his office, but it will take some daring on his part.

Here’s my advice:

Accept every allegation that is true and apologize.

Ask to meet with each person who has complained about his behavior – with a witness for their side and one for his – and express, face to face, how much he regrets that he was the cause of the distress inflicted.

Vow to embark in an effort to help other men avoid the mistakes he made. For instance, the Governor could start a foundation/program to teach men in positions of power to restrain from sexualizing their employees. The Governor would then become a defender of women’s rights and help them develop the voice that would put an end to misbehavior the very moment it happens. Not wait and let it fester.

In their quest for autonomy and affirmation in the workplace and in life, women may sometimes hesitate to assert themselves when confronted with unwanted sexual advances, but it is clear they eagerly wish to be able to speak on the spot if an advance is not to their liking.

Women have all the right in the world to feel they are in control of their bodies at all time.

We, men, have got to learn that.

I believe the Governor has the capacity and emotional fortitude to do this.

But he must act quickly.

If he does, he may well stay in power and even rise further.

And his example help other men.

Good luck.

Oscarvaldes.net

Biden because…

We need to restore sanity to America,

We must have a president who will not shirk from confronting a foreign leader,

A president who is not preoccupied with every criticism that is made of him and who can think before he tweets,

We need a president who is comfortable with thinking and reflecting,

Who is open to having the best people around him, regardless of what party they’re affiliated with,

We must have a president who can hear a dissenting view,

A person who values independent thought, men and women who can stand on their own and choose to serve the nation out of a sense of patriotism rather than personal gain, men and women who’re not quick to say, ‘yes, mr president, of course you’re right, sir, absolutely right, you’re the greatest, the most wonderful human being I’ve ever met,’

We need a leader with the courage to address the nation in the face of abject cruelty, as when George Floyd was murdered in public view, and then step out and denounce the abuse of power and stand and grieve with the rest of us,

We need a leader who believes in science, who doesn’t feel diminished because he has to wear a mask,

We must have a leader who doesn’t lie to us, repeatedly, shamelessly,

A president with the courage to not blame China for the enormous losses of life we’ve suffered and who not once has said he takes responsibility for any of it.

In his view, whatever he does, is a masterful move.

We need Biden because he’s committed to bringing women to the center of our political world,

Women, who in this land of the free, have not been elected to the presidency or vice presidency in 231 years, yet all the while they’ve been nurturing men, educating, strengthening, helping to guide us, inspiring and comforting us, and we have the gall to turn around and deny them the right to control their bodies and to not think they are fit to lead.

We need Biden because in bringing women to power, he opens the door for them to govern the nation for the next 50 consecutive years, at least, and so make it possible to have racial and gender equality in our land.

Men simply could not do the job and need to move aside and let women do it.

We need Biden to reach out to the president’s supporters and remind them that we must sit down and have a dialogue,

We need Biden, who will tell the president’s supporters that they are essential in the struggle to improve our nation,

We need Biden

To remind us of our true powers, and that this is not the time to step back from acting with concern for the plight of the downtrodden anywhere in the world, for their suffering is ours too. Embrace it and we will embrace our own, and as we do brighten the flame of hope that has always lived in our hearts and minds.

So, go Joe, go Kamala,

Fight for our land as you know how,

And let not the winds of hatred and envy blight our future

Oscar Valdes oscarvaldes.net oscarvaldes@widehumr

American Women. Moral Reconstruction in America. The Dawn of A New Era.

White American Women had been waiting a long time for the chance to be president and, suddenly, they’re having to queue up behind Harris. What happened?

The riots did.

Of course, they can look back on Hillary Clinton’s effort and find consolation there, saying that in the very first try by a white woman as presidential candidate for a major party, she won the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes.

That will have to do for now, though, since if all goes well, it will be Harris going up as party favorite once Biden chooses to step down (Yes, Biden will win the election, unless we’re insane)

To the credit of White American women, there has been widespread support for the Harris choice. That should give us men inspiration in the struggle against racism.

Come 2024, Kamala may end up being challenged for the presidential nomination by other women, as they are entitled to, but if she does a good job supporting Biden it will be a Democratic woman versus a Republican one in that presidential contest.

A man running on the Republican side would have a harder time beating Harris.

The problem of racism in our land is viewed by most of us as a critical matter. Addressing it fully cannot be postponed without additional damage to our moral fabric.

Obama projected an image of conciliation that has gone a long way to start the process of healing in our land but it now seems clear that it will be up to an African/Asian American woman to carry the task further.

Men are more conflicted than women on matters of dominance. They are more easily wounded by it and less forgiving.

This opens the way for women, of any color, to lead us for the next few decades until we resolve our racial differences.

Overall, the feminine psyche appears more likely to evoke forgiveness and understanding in the rest of us.

The fact that women had to struggle so hard to get out from under the oppression of men has much to do with it. It has helped them develop empathy.

So what do we have to lose?

Since inception we have been governed by men and we have not settled the racial issue. Imagine a Senate, supreme court or cabinet composed mainly of women?

It is time.

Are there qualified women today, in every field of endeavor, in politics, banking, science, medicine, etc.?

Yes. Resoundingly.

Well, we need to open the doors widely for them to enter politics and let them govern. And when it happens, it will be a gigantic step toward uniting the country.

We have great women leaders in the world now. Germany and Europe have benefitted enormously from the unique leadership Angela Merkel has provided. Her courage, wisdom and even handedness have set a standard to emulate. What other world leader has governed for as long as she has with such aplomb?

Sex alone won’t make for gifted leadership, but a combination of ability and sex may work wonders in challenging long held misconceptions about race that have stood in the way of our full evolution as a nation.

Oscar Valdes is the author of Psychiatrist for A Nation and other books. Available on Amazon.

Oscarvaldes.net

Dear Ted Yoho

Some incidents have a way of sinking us or enhancing us. How we handle them can be career changing.

I am referring to the degrading words you spoke recently to your fellow congressperson, Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, D (NY).

Till now, you have been what the British call a back bencher in congress. I had never heard of you.

I am sure you would like to be more prominent than you are now and, perhaps because of it, you spoke as you did to the congresswoman.

Let me explain.

It cannot be easy, to sit in the House, year after year, and not have made much of an impression. Then you see someone like Ocasio Cortez, a brown woman from New York, daughter of immigrants from Puerto Rico, shoot into the consciousness of the nation, flying high up into the American political firmament, and in her very first term become a speaker in great demand, sharing a stage with former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders during the primaries.

The young lady has got it.

She’s tapped into something that energizes others. She’s got the markings of a leader with staying power.

You sit there, watching all of it, looking at her meteoric rise, and you resent it.

Dear Mr Yoho, that is okay. That makes you human.

Like you, there are thousands if not millions of Americans, from the Right and the Left, who would like to be in Ocasio Cortez’s shoes.

It is okay.

Yes.

It is okay.

That journey is her journey. You have your own, like I have mine.

Let her have hers. No need to go insulting her. No need to call her the words you did.

But you did.

So let me tell you what I think you have to do, because it would be good for you and, believe it or not, would be good too for your political career. If fact, it could be the start of it.

Okay, here it is.

You have to apologize to her. In person. In private.

That’s right.

You have to summon all your courage, which I know you have, and ask for a private audience with her and simply apologize.

‘Alexandra… I am sorry for what I did. What I said was degrading to you and to me as well. I am better than that. I was envious of you, envious of your talents and your drive and ambition, all of which I wish I had. Please, accept my deepest apology, on behalf of myself and my constituents.’

Ted, you do that and I assure you, your star will rise. Of course, you have to mean every word.

If you do, then you will have to go back to your constituents and explain. Explain the source of your resentment, and then ask your supporters to examine themselves also, look into their hearts and see if they have felt or feel as you did.

To the extent that what you said to Ocasio Cortez represented a belief shared by your constituency, then to that extent you have to work with them so they can examine those beliefs. Examine to transform.

Ted, we are at a very important juncture in our nation’s history and you can play an important part in the process and no longer be a back bencher. We have to come together. No one side owns the truth. We have to talk. A nation divided will not be able to muster the energy to confront the challenges other nations are presenting to us. And all of it starts at the local level. All of it starts with the constituency each member of Congress represents.

Ted, I have no doubt, that by your apologizing in person to Ocasio Cortez, your example will inspire other lawmakers and politicians to join in a much needed dialogue. So rise to the occasion, Mr Yoho, rise!

Rise and join those in the vanguard of change the nation is aching for.

Best wishes.

Oscar Valdes oscarvaldes.net

PS.

Not long ago, upon hearing of Amy Klobuchar’s announcement that she was taking herself out of the running for the democratic vice presidential spot, I wrote to her asking to reconsider. She had chosen to drop out because 20 years before, while a DA in Minnesota, she had failed to press charges on police officers suspected of abusive behavior toward African Americans. My point to her was that she had evolved, and the pugnacity and fairness she had displayed in the primaries marked her as a very worthwhile choice for vice presidential nominee. I remarked that there is no purity. There is, however, the courage to confront our prejudices and act on them. That’s what elevates us.

The blog is entitled Dear Amy and is available on my website.

Joe and Jill go Up the Hill

The big question to answer is, should Biden select an African American woman for the vice presidential spot?

To try and find out I transformed myself into a fly and flew into the Bidens’ living quarters. Becoming a fly allowed me to pass through the many secret service checks. A few times they swatted at me and even sprayed some nasty mist in my direction but I managed to dodge till, finally, was able to find a spot up on the ceiling of their living room. I anchored myself in such fashion that I could hear all they said, without seeing any of what they did. Respecting their privacy is important to me.

They had just stepped in from their bedroom when I first heard them. They sat down.

Joe – That is the question. Will African Americans feel disappointed and cool on me if I don’t choose one of them?

Jill – It’s a lot of pressure you’re under.

Joe – I wouldn’t be where I am if it hadn’t been for their showing up in great numbers in the South Carolina primary.

Jill – But still you worry about it, don’t you?

Joe – I do.

Jill – Why?

Joe – My main task is to win and remove Trump. The nation cannot endure four more years of this man. The African American vote alone won’t get us there. We need votes from every sector, from the Right to the Left, the poor to the rich and from all minorities. Whites are a majority in this country. I have to appeal to those who voted for Trump and are disappointed with his performance. Race played a big part in Trump’s victory. So I have to reach out to those voters and say to them, ‘look at me, brothers and sisters, I am a white man. Throughout all my political career I have defended the rights of African Americans, and guess what? Doing so has not diminished me but, instead, made me a better person and a better politician for all Americans. Had I not made the choices I made, Obama would not have chosen me as his running mate, and I would not have been able to serve the nation as I did.

Jill – I like that, Joe.

Joe – Thanks, baby.

Jill – It speaks to the need for continued integration, and that new strengths will arise from our coming together… not pulling apart.

Joe – Yes.

Jill – I worry, though, that the various camps… Warren’s, Harris’, Klobuchar’s… and the women governors who believe they might be picked… all keep striving to find favor with you… the people they represent thinking that what they stand for should be put up front on the national agenda, that their views should have a stronger voice, and their candidate being selected would make that more likely.

Joe – I understand. My task, though, is to convey to the nation, that I will be a President for everyone. I will be a president for the Trump supporter who will vote against me, and I will be a president for him because I will listen to what he has to say. I will also be a president to those who have given up on going to the polls, because they no longer believe their plight will ever be heard. Having been a life long supporter of African American causes, has helped me acquire the strength required.

Jill – You don’t feel you have to prove it by choosing an African American…

Joe – Right. Color alone will not sway me. Character will. How can we forget the good Reverend?

Jill – Indeed.

Joe – When you go to the polls and vote for me, you will be voting for what I stand, and my pledge to devote the rest of my life to making this country all it can be. And I will show you my taxes, too.

Jill laughs.

Jill – Joe… have you made up your mind, already?

Joe – I have.

Jill – I had a sense.

Joe – It wasn’t a difficult decision, once I thought about it in detail.

Jill – You feel good about it?

Joe – Very good.

Jill – Any hint?

Joe – I’ll give you one… it is one of the women who ran for president.

Jill – Why?

Joe – Because they put themselves out… they went for it with all they had. I value that.

Jill – That narrows it down quite a bit.

Joe – Yes. Who was your favorite?

Jill – I don’t want to tell you, it might influence you.

Joe – I’ve made up my mind.

Jill – I’ll wait till you announce. When will you?

Joe – At the convention. Keeping to tradition.

Jill – Something to look forward to.

Joe – Yes.

They are quiet for a moment.

Jill – Here’s another question for you… don’t answer if you don’t want. In multiracial America, is there room for an all white presidential ticket?

Joe – You’re nipping close, aren’t you?

Jill – You don’t have to answer.

Joe – Yes, there is. There’s room for an all white ticket.

Jill leans back in her seat and as she does she looks up and notices the fly on the ceiling.

Jill – There’s a fly up there. Wonder how it got in. Joe… Trump will not go down quietly.

Joe – I know. And neither will the voices that preach disunion, privilege and enmity. Look… this race is mine to lose… only I offer the hope for a government that is open to all… and to which I will bring the best and brightest to the White House… from the Right, the Left and the Center, and steer a path to reconciliation and healing.

Jill – And I will be there at your side.

Joe – Ah… what else can a man ask for? Come over here, baby.

At which point, thinking the rest was none of my business, I flew away so I could record what you have just read.

Oscar Valdes is the author of ‘Psychiatrist for a Nation’, available on Amazon and Oscarvaldes.net.

Biden Deals a Blow to the Coronavirus.

This morning, the house of representatives agreed on a bill that will provide 8.3 billion to fight the coronavirus.

It is no coincidence that this move comes right after Biden’s big win in last night’s primaries which vault him to the top in the delegate count.

‘We have to do something, quick, hurry up,’ said the Republican legislators eager to cooperate on the new bill, ‘Joe Biden is coming!’

A campaign that just before South Carolina’s primary last Saturday, seemed badly bruised and cornered, has charged back valiantly and landed a heck of a punch.

Biden’s gain has acted to restore hope that there is sanity in the nation, that diverse communities will have a say in the conduct of our affairs, that kindness is part of who we are, that no one is to be excluded, that we can improve on what we have already built and don’t need a revolution as Mr Sanders has touted.

Joe Biden’s victory last night means that a huge segment of this country, has entrusted him with the task of taking on Donald Trump in the debates to come, confident that Joe will go full out in the fight to dethrone the president.

Joe Biden now symbolizes America’s repudiation of this administration’s ill conceived measures such as our pulling out of the Paris accord on climate change, a reckless trade war with China which has damaged our economy, the passing of a tax cut that disproportionately benefits the well off, excessive deregulation which damages the environment, an overly partisan approach in selecting people to positions of leadership which has resulted in the exclusion of the best and brightest the nation has to offer.

And it will be up to Joe Biden also, to select a woman as the vice presidential nominee.

Distinguished women fought hard to become the democratic selection for president. Voters are choosing him instead, but he can take it upon himself to ease the path for a woman becoming president by selecting one now as his running mate.

Joe is not only beating the coronavirus, he will defeat Trump too, and by selecting a woman vice president, will open a new chapter in the history of our nation.

Dear Joe Biden:You and the Year of the American Woman

You are, today, in a very special position to alter the course of American political life. Your talents have been in evidence during your long career, reaching a high point when they caught the eye of Barack Obama, a good judge of character, who made the excellent choice of picking you as vice president. At a time of historical transition, Obama chose well, you delivered superbly, and the nation felt it could trust democrats to open a new chapter in its history.

Thank you for that.

Surely there were many moments during your tenure as vice president, when Obama sought your advice in complex matters and your wisdom made a difference.

Thank you for being there for all of us.

Personally, I remember one very special instance when you boosted the flagging spirits of all democrats. During the heated campaign for reelection in 2012, after Obama had put in a lackluster performance in the first debate against hard challenging Mitt Romney, you came back with a sterling demonstration of political savvy, debating vigorously and dominating his running mate. It was unforgettable.

Today, as the nation is roiled by the hatred and mismanagement stirred by a short sighted republican president, history has once again put you in a position to have an outsize influence in our national life. Not by you vying for the presidency, but by you helping to shift the attention of America’s electorate to a worthy woman candidate.

I am sure you have thought about this.

Never before, have so many American women been driven by the desire to put themselves in the thick of the nation’s political struggles, to endure whatever comes to those bold enough to make public their political ideas, to those strong enough to bare themselves to public scrutiny.

Never before, have women moved forward so confidently, and say to the nation, ‘we are over half of this land, we have given birth and helped nurture all Americans. We have something to say and we will be heard, for we have the capacity and vision to lead”.

What we are witnessing is unprecedented. It signals that we are ready to move to another stage in our political development, a stage where American women, long neglected and ignored, must play a central role.

It cannot be otherwise. Like Obama was the personification of a powerful force in our midst, so now is the time for an American woman to lead.

History has set the stage.

How? By our having elected, in 2016, a man who is the antithesis of good sense. A man whose instincts are against the environment, against nurturing alliances with steadfast friends, a man who has failed miserably to invest generously in Americans, so we can move confidently into the future.

With that contrast, it should be clear that 2020 ought to be the year of the American Woman.

There are, in the present field of candidates, highly capable women running for president and you, Joe, are in the enviable position of being the force that influences events decisively.

Imagine you saying to the nation that it is time for Americans to elect a woman. The force that your words carry would have a profound effect on the electorate. You would help narrow down the choices so that our energies can be better spent. The allocation of campaign funds would become more efficient, which we need because wealthy Republicans, aiming for preferential tax treatment from our president, will give lavishly to reelect him.

So now is the time, Joe, for you to bow out of the race. Now that you are on top, now that you are leading in the polls. Paradoxically, this is the best of times.

On close scrutiny, you have lost some of your former sharpness. The temptation, of course, is to deny it, to go on and on, to pretend that it is not happening.

The grueling contest for the nomination and later the race to election day will, however, be unforgiving, further exposing some of the apparent deficits. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You have made a place for yourself in our political history. Those of us who appreciate your years of service would prefer not to see you stumble. Those of us who know of your invaluable contributions would prefer not to see you leave the race because your performance has lost its luster and you no longer lead the field.

So this is the time, Joe. Right now.

I do not think that this suggestion of mine will ever come from any of the talented women candidates now vying for the nomination. Their pride wouldn’t allow it. They would rather battle it out with you. And it could be that one of them will defeat you in the contest. But even if you should be the one to capture the nomination and go on to beat Trump, I do not think that you will have the profound impact on our nation that a woman president will.

This is their time, Joe, right now. Their golden moment, and you can help make it happen.

I urge you to consider moving from leading presidential candidate to leading force in helping usher in a new era in American politics and you will shine with lasting light.

You, Joe Biden, gallant knight of a thousand political battles, can make 2020 the Year of the American Woman and help open the next chapter in our political history.

Best

Oscar Valdes

Dear Elizabeth, (3), 2020 is the Year of the American Woman.

For a brief moment I had considered that Trump would make an effort to veer to the center by toning down his divisive rhetoric and appeal to voters outside his ‘base,’ since it alone is unlikely to win him the reelection. Now I think differently.

Trump does not seem able to help himself and will play the racist card as he sees fit. But it will only hasten his undoing.

During his two and a half years in office, he has already incited enough hatred for the country to take the measure of the man. Could voters be so gullible as to take the bait again? They just might.

So let us ask ourselves this question, between a man and a woman, who’s more likely to be duped by Trump?

I think a man.

During his tenure, Trump has been offensive to both men and women, but more so toward women. Thus, I believe women who voted for him in 2016 are unlikely to vote for him again.

With strong women candidates vying for the presidency – accomplished women without the political baggage that accompanied Hillary – women voters will have before them a range of choices they have never had before.

2020 will then be the Year of the American Woman. And it could well become a campaign slogan of yours.

American women must be pursued vigorously, and reminded of how they can, through the power of the vote, have a say in altering the direction of our social and economic policies and thus the fate of the nation.

Either we continue on an isolationist path that seeks to divide and weaken the country, or we embrace a future where women will rise to positions of leadership in all walks of life.

A woman president will immediately, from day one, affect the composition of the cabinet. Immediately, from day one, a woman president will greatly influence the number of female appointees to hundreds of critical posts. And the nation will breathe easier, knowing that with a better male/female balance in the conduct of our affairs, both foreign and national, America stands a much better chance of steering an enlightened course, one that is in our best interest while at the same time remaining respectful of other countries’ concerns.

To remain a nation of the first order, actions like the current trade war are of no benefit. What will make a difference in the long run, will be to foster the creative potential of every American, man or woman, while keeping our minds and hearts open to the world.

Best

Oscar Valdes oscarvaldes.net

Author of Brother Donald: Letters, and Helsinki.

Dear Elizabeth

The fight is heating up. As you go through it you will be tested again and again, and again and again you will overcome. It’s in you. And you will be the next president of our nation.

You are being entrusted not only with restoring sanity to our affairs foreign and national, but with the grander task, long overdue, of lifting American women to positions of leadership.

The nation will be richer, when we let women in as full partners, for she has been neglected and undervalued throughout the course of our history.

We have paid dearly for such sad neglect. Had there been the balance that women bring to policy making and executive decisions, there may not have been the debacle of Vietnam, the bloody mistake of Iraq. Had there been the balance that women bring to policy making and executive decisions, there may not have been the institutionalized racism that plagues us, or the economic inequality that haunts us.

We often hear the question, is America ready for a woman president? It has always been ready. What has blocked women’s ascent is masculine insecurity, the obsession that men have with domination, the obsession with control over others to be able to feel at peace with ourselves.

But the peace earned in such way is transitory. Personal peace that lasts comes from a sense that everyone has value, and from the knowledge that at any given time in a person’s development, each human being is endeavoring to express such value, thus the importance of education and of social supports, to facilitate such expression.

Elizabeth,

The field is crowded, but already we can see the differences. The lack of focus. The vain quest for attention.

Meanwhile, do stay centered. You have a clear advantage over everybody in the field. I see it. Others see it.

As to the debates with Mr Trump you will have nothing to fear. He does not have the depth that you do (he could reach for it but he chooses not to). He knows that, which is why he will do all he can to degrade the nature of an exchange with you for that is his only course. Let him do the jokes. Let him have the laughs. We have seen plenty of those under his tenure while the nation backslides.

What the county wants to see is the leader in you. But rest easy. In contrast to our president, you do not have to reach for it or invent it. You do not have to make it up. It is in you. It is you.

You do not have to have all the answers. Some of your approaches may not be accurate. But if you have the courage to listen to contrary views and weigh them, you will chart balanced courses of action. Your choices may have to change, for circumstances will shift, but if your rationale has been sound, the chances of success will be good.

Till next time.

Oscar valdes oscarvaldes.net