(ThyBlackMan.com) Four years ago I ran for mayor of my city. A little city with a population of 1500 when I moved here in 1998 to a present-day population of almost 4000. I knocked on every door in town. The night of the election, after the votes were counted, I had won by 98 votes. However, before they were able to confirm my victory, it was announced that out of nowhere, there were an additional 112 ballots that had yet to be counted. They were called early absentee ballots, mind you they were already opened and came with no envelopes and signatures. I ended up losing by 14 votes. All 112 went to my opponent, who had been mayor since 1985.
Folk wanted me to fight and my daughter was steaming mad. I informed them a person willing to cheat that openly was not worth my energy. My father had taught me long ago that a man never stoops to another man’s level of petty. In my understanding it meant just because another man is soft as wet toilet paper, you do not have to be soft because he is. Long story short. First pops has never lied and two, I am hoping that with all of this lawfare, 45 doesn’t go to the level of his political opponents.
With this said, I propose a novel concept, given the problem many Americans are having in this post-SARS-CoV-2 environment with mental illness and the massive negative impact the economy has had in the rise of drug abuse, suicide, and depression as a consequence, it would not be unreasonable to do the unthinkable.
The olive branch is a symbol of peace, reconciliation, and hope. Its origins as a peace symbol date back to ancient Greece, where it was associated with Athena, the goddess of wisdom, who gifted the olive tree to the city of Athens. Later, in Roman culture, the olive branch was used to symbolize peace during times of war.
In Judeo-Christian traditions, the olive branch also symbolizes new beginnings and God’s covenant with humanity, most famously in the story of Noah’s Ark, where a dove brought back an olive branch as a sign that the floodwaters had receded. Today, the olive branch remains a universal symbol of peace and goodwill.
Virgil wrote in the Aeneid, wrote of “The olive grove of peace.” This is in line with the view Abraham Lincoln once projected in response to a critic who questioned his conciliatory approach toward the South during the Civil War: “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?” While not explicitly mentioning the olive branch, Lincoln’s sentiment aligns with the spirit of extending an olive branch to create peace and unity. This comports with George Washington’s saying “Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all” in his Farewell Address, delivered on September 19, 1796. Washington’s advocacy for peaceful relations reflects the olive branch as a symbol of honorable and peaceful conduct.
In this time of political mistrust and wicked intentions, I believe that it is incumbent upon men to take the lead toward making things better for all people regardless of race, creed, religion, and even political disposition. As the President-elect, I think Donald Trump is in the best position to demonstrate this carriage than most. As such, this would require making symbolic gestures that are earnest but not vapid. So to go out on a limb, moving beyond partisanship.
In my view, there are two appointments 47 can make to move us closer to America I know and believe in – appoint John Fetterman as Mental Health Czar and Joseph Biden as ambassador to France (or Canada, one and the same to me).
First Fetterman. In May 2022, John Fetterman, then serving as Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor and campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat, experienced an ischemic stroke caused by a blood clot resulting from atrial fibrillation. This type of stroke, the most common kind, occurs when a clot blocks blood flow to the brain.
Following the stroke, Fetterman faced auditory processing challenges, affecting his ability to understand and produce speech. His experience highlights the importance of accessibility and accommodations for individuals with disabilities in public office.
In February 2023 as a U.S. Senator, Fetterman voluntarily admitted himself to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for inpatient treatment of clinical depression. Fetterman had experienced depression intermittently throughout his life, but it had become more severe in recent months. He remained at Walter Reed for six weeks, during which time his depression entered remission. Following his discharge, Fetterman returned to his Senate duties and has since been an active presence in the Capitol.
I am one with an open mind, and Fetterman has changed my perception of him. The interview with Lulu Garcia-Navarro, the first Latina to host an NPR news show was just icing on the cake and showed me Fetterman placed the nation over party. Specifically this interaction:
“I live directly across the street from the steel mill, and we were doing an event there for Clinton. And I asked the union president, I’m like, ‘Hey where are we on Trump?’ He’s like, ‘Probably half or 60%, two-thirds are voting for him.’ I was like, ‘Oh, that sucks.’ And then immediately there was a guy getting off, and he had a truck, and he had truck nuts on it. Do you know what truck nuts are?”
“Do I look like I know what truck nuts are?”
This sums up why the media is COMPLETELY clueless about real America, real issues, real people. They are so insulated from it all. They despise anyone who doesn’t have a fancy college degree and sweats for a living. I didn’t have Fetterman explain, truck nuts to a New York Times reporter on my bingo card this election cycle, but here we are. I find it refreshing, almost hopeful that a guy who wears a hoodie to Capitol has common sense and can reach across aisles to solve problems. No frills balls and strikes being called.
I don’t agree with Fetterman on many things, but since his time at Walter Reed he has been forthright, clear on his views, and unafraid of the bullies. Democrats should learn from him. I think Trump putting him in charge of tackling mental health issues in our nation would be effective and productive.
Fetterman could be an effective spokesperson for mental health care due to his personal experience with mental health struggles and his openness in discussing these issues publicly. Fetterman has been candid about his battle with depression, especially following his stroke in 2022, which highlighted the intersection of mental health with other health issues. His transparency in seeking treatment for depression in early 2023 resonated with many people, helping to reduce the stigma around mental health and encourage others to seek help.
As a public figure in a high-profile role, Fetterman’s willingness to talk about his experiences makes him relatable and helps challenge the stigma that often surrounds mental health challenges. His influence in politics can also bring attention for the need for improved mental health care access, funding, and resources. Given that he’s openly shared both his struggles and the importance of professional help, he can advocate for mental health care reform with credibility and empathy, addressing the gaps in current care systems and supporting policies that expand access to mental health services for all.
I could even see Dean Phillips (D-MN) being considered strongly for the Administrator of the Small Business Administration. Phillips, a Brown graduate, completed his Master of Business Administration at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management in 2000 and a Democratic politician who served as the U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District, has a background as a businessman and entrepreneur, including leadership roles in his family’s liquor company, Phillips distilling, and co-founding Talenti Gelato. I think he is the last of a dying breed on the left – always emphasizing bipartisan cooperation, transparency in government, and campaign finance reform. While in Congress, Phillips served on the House Ethics Committee and the Small Business Committee (Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access and Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development). He is more competent than most Democrats and has real-world lived experiences.
As for Biden, putting him out to pasture in France or Canada would just express no hard feelings in politics and that Americans regardless of party, are more alike than unalike – except dyed hair, nose septum pierced, and tattoed progressives. I think this would be a good thing. In particular, if you are like me, and agree with Virgil that there is such a thing as the “olive grove of peace.”
Staff Writer; Torrance T. Stephens
Can also purchase any of his books over at; Amazon – TTS Books.
