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Recent Posts from my Substack Blog Fighting the Red Tide…. The Paradox
2 Weeks After Release – Never Enough Words
After two weeks, Never Enough Words has received good reviews. Naturally, I am happy about those. I would ask all of you to share the links below with your friends and contacts. Thanks for your support of my writing. A review follows:
Never Enough Words Jack Hammond Jr. Independently Published (2024) ISBN: 979-8340234841 – Reviewed by Amanda Caswell for Reader Views (11/2024)
5 Star- Wrestling with personal struggle and societal unrest.
Jack Hammond Jr.’s “Never Enough Words” digs deep into the lives of ordinary people struggling with the extraordinary weight of history, personal traumas, and the shifting societal landscapes of the American South. Readers should understand that this is without a doubt a heavy read, yet, through the expressive storytelling of Hammond, it is one that is worthwhile because it gives the reader pause. This novel is for thinkers, and I believe there’s no better time for a book such as this.
The Lost Foundations of Public Education
Thanks for your readership and support over the years.
In facing election results that are both shocking and bitterly disappointing, the question becomes simple. What now? That being said, the focus of this blurb must become one about the challenges we face as a culture, as Americans. I believe one of the most important factors in our slide into the Republican landslide is the serious and continuing decline in public education. What follows is an introduction to a book I am beginning to that end.
“Education has always been about more than books, pencils, or desks. At its core, education shapes who we are and who we want to become. It’s the mortar that holds our communities together, the promise of opportunity, and the foundation for a life well-lived. John Dewey once said, “Education is life itself.” Sadly, somewhere along the way, we lost that thread. Where public education once centered on growing citizens, thinkers, and good neighbors has become a system obsessed with numbers, rankings, and tests. It’s a shift that didn’t happen overnight, but the consequences are all around us, and the costs are profound..
Never Enough Words – Launch Today
Never Enough Words is available today on Amazon.
Here are reviews from two Advance Readers:
“Jack Hammond Jr is the consummate storyteller. His latest novel, Never Enough Words, takes readers back to Scots Bend, a small town in South Carolina, in the 1960’s when the South was grappling with societal, sometimes painful, changes that frequently deeply divided communities, even families and lifelong friends. Having grown up in a small Southern town that, much like Scots Bend, also had its “hidden secrets and buried sins,” I could relate to the characters and the situations Hammond so masterfully draws out. I highly recommend Never Enough Words. Reading it caused me to remember both the good and the bad about the times it covers. Once I began reading, I couldn’t put it down.”
Frank White, Columbia, SC
The Greatest Gift
“The greatest gift is the moment of realization—the fragile instant when we see clearly, beyond the surface of things, into the heart of meaning.” – M Scott Momaday
America needs a moment of realization; we need that greatest gift. People who still support Trump and MAGA need the gift. With only days left, America needs a miracle. It is surreal that the Presidential election is a 50-50 contest. It is surreal that – Ted Cruz may be reelected. Rick Scott may be reelected. Marjorie Taylor Greene may win. Kari Lake may win. Control of both the Senate and the House are toss-ups. With clear choices before us, the election should be a blow-out in favor of Democrats up and down the ticket.
The truth about this election, especially this election, is that the outcome will define us as a country, but win or lose, our individual vote will define each of us. And so, we are standing in a moment of choice, an incredibly obvious choice. While this has always been true, the wide gulf between the respective visions of America defines us more clearly than at any other time in our history…
Never Enough Words – Novel Release Announcement
My second novel, Never Enough Words, will release on Amazon 10 days from now. November 1, 2024. The details are in the links below. While it is set in the 1960s, some early readers say it is very timely. I appreciate your support.
Never Enough Words
Excerpt:
When he was a young pastor, he was troubled when other pastors wouldn’t accept Jesus’ simple teaching, which left no room for the prejudice and racism that was endemic to the time. Jesus’ words were crystal-clear, and he never understood why others didn’t or wouldn’t see it. The Bible study was essential to the five pastors as it had been for his group in Mississippi. It gave the men something in common, a faith-based bond, and their time together built a sturdy bridge to friendship. Still, in the end, it was the communal prayer, five pastors praying for their people and their community, that Alston believed was vital, especially on this Monday, given recent events. They needed it, and so did he..
Politics 2024 – A Lament
We thought we were smarter. We thought we were more civilized. We thought we could not be taken in by charlatans bent on finding the weak openings of our frustrations, fears, and anger. After all. we are America, “the land of the free, the home of the brave.” We are e pluribus unum: out of the many, one. We are “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” We are that nation, right? Or have we left that nation behind? Are we a different America?
Sadly, the 2024 political landscape can be seen as a lament, a reflection of the deep fractures and divisive forces tearing at the fabric of American society. What we’re witnessing isn’t just another contentious election—it feels more like a turning point that could shape America’s identity and its foundational principles for generations. Have we – individually and collectively – changed that much?.
The White Idea of Manifest Destiny
It starts like this. In October 2020, at a rally in Arizona, Donald Trump made a statement in which he said, “I don’t believe we’re going to have to do this, but if we have to, we’re going to be counting ballots for the next two years… and we’re not going to lose this. God is going to come down and say, ‘This is enough; we’re not going to let it happen.'” Further, Donald Trump made a statement during an interview with Dr. Phil, saying, “If Jesus Christ came down and were the vote counter, I would win California, OK?” the former President added later. “In other words, if we had an honest vote counter, a really honest vote counter — I do great with Hispanics, great, I mean at a level no Republican has ever done. But if we had an honest vote counter, I would win California.” His statements are simply delusional, but not in the minds of his supporters. A belief in their superiority takes them in.
The Inauguration Speech of JFK
Does our common history matter anymore? Should our leaders be examples, people to emulate, people lighting a path for leaders who come behind them? Do words matter? Can language reveal a path to make us better? Can language pull us down into the depths of conflict and hatred?
Words do matter. Language matters – it can elevate us; it can demean and diminish us; it can lead us into useless wars, but it can also point the way to authentic acts of patriotism and altruism that benefits all humankind – and that is why we should read speeches like this one as often as we read bedtime stories to our toddlers.
It is Our Choice – Our Vote
In America, the power of personal choice may be the most sacred right citizens possess. That power should exist in every aspect of daily life, but nowhere is it more critical than in our vote. The act of voting is more than a civic duty; it is a reflection of our values, our priorities, and our collective vision for the future. When we consider the future of our nation, we must evaluate the candidates and policies through the lens of core American values—those principles that have defined our country and have been passed down through generations. Truth, justice, equality, fundamental rights, and the rule of law serve as pillars of American democracy. The leaders we choose will shape our nation according to these values, or they will ignore them, even to the point of destroying them. Let’s consider each value and how each is being challenged today.
2024 – The Impact of the Right-Wing Echo Chamber
Donald Trump’s political career has always been tied to the right-wing echo chamber—a bubble of media and ultra-conservative advisors that insulates him from mainstream discourse and truth. This echo chamber is made up of outlets like Fox News, Newsmax, and OAN, as well as advisors like Bannon, Gorka, Lewandowski, Loomer, and others. It reinforces extreme conspiracy theories and shapes Trump’s worldview.
THE COMMONSENSE VOTE
The foundation of democracy is one person, one vote. At its core, voting should accurately reflect the people’s collective will. In a perfect world, voters would choose based on policies that best serve their economic and social interests. In reality, voters often make votes that contradict their financial self-interest and well-being. Too frequently, cultural identity, misinformation, racial perceptions, and social values play an outsized role in how Americans vote.
A Time for National Redemption
Redemption, at its core, is the idea of making amends, seeking forgiveness, and moving toward a higher ideal after a period of wrongdoing or failure. We are in that place. On a personal level, it involves confronting one’s mistakes, acknowledging harm caused, and committing to change. In a modern political context, national redemption requires similar actions but on a grander scale—requiring a collective reckoning with a country’s past and present injustices. In America, the idea of redemption is fraught with complexity. Can a nation built on contradictions, such as the ideals of freedom and equality alongside the realities of slavery, racial violence, and systemic inequality, truly “redeem” itself?
Beacons of Hope vs. Shadows of Doubt
In the charged atmosphere of the 2024 presidential campaign, the stark contrast between the candidates’ messages and their visions for America moving forward have never been more evident. Since President Biden stepped aside for VP Kamala Harris, the universal sigh of relief from Democrats has turned into an explosion of support reminiscent of Obama in 2008. The other side is stuck in a playbook that is decades old, but still appeals to a significant part of our population .
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Civil War Era Murder Mystery
