Here are my observations and opinions on selected news of the day.

A GOVERNMENT GONE TOO FAR – Upon receipt of my Part B Medicare Summary yesterday, I noticed that the last page included a nondiscrimination notice stating that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) doesn’t exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sex or age.

OKAY, I’M FOR THAT, BUT that statement says nothing about excluding those who don’t understand English. So why does the CMS find it necessary to publish it in Spanish, Armenian, French, German, Haitian Creole, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Tagalog (yes, Tagalog) and Vietnamese?

I’M AN “ENGLISH ONLY” ADVOCATE – And that goes for signs in Spanish at our election sites – Vote Aqui’ and Entrada Para Votar. In some states those signs include a number of languages.

ENOUGH ALREADY with the talk of President Trump pardoning himself. “The president is simply given the power to pardon any federal crime,” writes noted law professor Jonathan Turley, but suggests that despite the president’s bravado on self-pardons “is one interesting question, he (Trump) would be wise to leave it unanswered.”

WHAT A DIFFERENCE THE MESSINGER MAKES – In 2005, Harvard Professor Lawrence Summers triggered criticism when he stated that the under-representation of female scientists at elite universities may stem from “innate” differences between men and women. He noted the fact that women with young children are unwilling or unable to put in the 80-hour work-weeks needed to succeed in these fields. Summers was later forced to resign.

Now we learn that Melinda Gates has decided to enter the venture capital world by providing funds to people based at least partly on their sex and skin color, according to Joy Pullmann of The Federalist.

“It’s been incredibly disappointing to watch how few women-led businesses are getting funded,” Gates said, “Ultimately, if we want more innovation and better products we’ve got to put more money behind women and minorities.”

She insists that “real change can occur when the venture capital community starts to demand that the people it invests in have diversity, the right values and the right behavior.”

It seems to me that Gates is being rather Pollyannaish, with her view on what it will take for women to succeed. With Summers’ remarks in mind, know that a later analysis of women’s academic choices in 67 diverse countries and regions revealed that women consistently register lower interest in STEM education and careers compared to men. A 2014 study, however, revealed that girls generally outperform boys and show no differences in math and science courses.

“Instead of considering evidence like this, Gates and those like her rush in and assume social crimes like racism and sexism,” writes Pullann. “When women are hired based on their sex, it may appear an advantage at the outset, but it will in the long run disadvantage them by promoting them beyond their abilities and increasing prejudice against them for gaining what they did not earn.”

MUCH OF THE PUBLIC DISDAIN directed toward President Trump, I believe, emanates from the daily negative media coverage of his policies and him personally.

And the media is more than willing to provide an echo chamber for the public to repeat those beliefs. “By the 2018 fall elections, the Trump administration will have several accomplishments under its belt,” wrote Christopher Bayne of Tempe, Arizona to the left-leaning Arizona Republic, “that number will be miniscule compared to the number of failures that have damaged us.”

Clearly, Mr. Bayne represents the uninformed public. It is generally accepted that in his first 500 days, President Trump has accomplished more good than any modern-day president and will have a great deal more by the 2018 midterms.”

Mr. Bayne’s reference to actions that “have damaged us,” is puzzling and reminded me of a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal yesterday by Lawrence H. Climo of Lincoln, Massachusetts.

Climo insists that many Democrats don’t like the president, citing that he “makes America unsafe because of his disdain for important principles (e.g. inclusiveness, heroism, respect, etc.), valued American institutions (the White House, FBI, science) and for his manifest disrespect for potential allies and essential friends.”

Either Mr. Climo is simply oblivious to current events, or his personal disdain for the president has gotten the best of him.

INCLUSIVENESS: There are six women and a black in his cabinet. He has created an environment to bring unemployment among women, blacks and Hispanics to record lows.

HEROISM: He has recognized heroism in the White House while presenting Medals of Honor to our military heroes and other plaudits to first responders, police and fire fighters.

RESPECT: His respect for the flag and the national anthem and those who protect our freedoms and their families is well known. He frequently demonstrates his respect for law enforcement.

THE WHITE HOUSE: He takes pride in inviting people into the Oval Office, including a group of coal miners on one occasion.

THE FBI: He recognizes that a handful of top level FBI agents have besmirched the agency, but he has honored those who daily work to keep this law enforcement organization at its peak.

SCIENCE: The president has essentially given NASA a new lease on life and has recognized the efforts of private space efforts, including the ability to return used boosters to land for reuse. I imagine it was the president’s withdrawal from the Paris Accord that drew Mr. Climo’s ire.

ABOUT THOSE ALLIES he is supposedly disrespecting. Did Mr. Climo miss the president’s milestone meeting in Saudi Arabia with the leaders of most of the Arab world, and how about French President Emanuel Macron’s invitation to the president to attend Bastille Day in Paris?

FINALLY – Mr. Climo accuses the president of “weakening and defacing America’s integrity, making us more vulnerable.” Really? While creating a booming economy and strengthening our military, he has rescued us from the seriously flawed Iran deal and is in the process of engaging the nuclear-minded North Korea in diplomatic negotiations once thought impossible.

DEMOCRATS OF THE RESIST MOVEMENT, never-Trumpers, are hoping that voters believe the negativity spouted by the likes of Messrs Bayne and Climo as we approach the midterms.

             May God bless the United States of America