Danny Cardwell's blog

Lonely

Danny Cardwell — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 15:28:34 +0000

Earlier this summer I partnered with the local arts association to create a documentary about the impact COVID-19 had on Bath County, Virginia.

Bath County had the highest unemployment rate in the Commonwealth of Virginia; over 40% of Bath Countians woke up either unemployed or underemployed through no fault of their own.

Lonely is a multimedia look at how three people dealt with a "new normal".

https://www.facebook.com/ChromaticExpressionsPhotograpgy/videos/83226399...

Topics:

Personal

Kobe Bryant: He Touched Every Line

Danny Cardwell — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 21:34:32 +0000

I sat down to write about Kobe's life and contributions to the game, but a blank piece of paper kept staring back at me. I struggled to find the words to express the shock I felt. Watching the crowd in New Orleans pay respect to Kobe was emotional. Seeing the tears in the eyes of Celtics players was tough. I felt a sense of pride after seeing teams take 24 second shot clock violations. Trae Young's inspired 45-point performance while wearing the number 8 made me a fan of his for life. Those images are worth more than any words I could ever write.

Sports fans are hurting. We share a love for the game that non-sports fans may never understand. Sports are a huge part of our lives. I love all sports, but basketball was my first love. I learned to respect and admire the grace, strength, hard work, and passion it took to excel at the highest levels. Kobe did the work. His tenacity was legendary. In a league full of Alphas, he was a boss.

The game is better because he played it. The game is better because he had the courage to openly chase Jordan. There’s a generation of players who are better because of Kobe’s work ethic and sheer will to win.

I came of age during the Renaissance of Basketball. I saw Magic, Bird and Jordan in their primes. I saw Kareem and Dr. J at the end of their careers. I remember Olajuwon, Ewing and Shaq dominating games in their own way. I watched Iverson cross up Jordan. I enjoyed seeing Kobe and Michael go after each other. These battles will live on forever.

Every generation has its stars. Every generation debates the greatness of their era. This cycle makes the game we love better. Kobe cemented his place among the pantheon of basketball Gods. What he left us is on film.

The debate over who's the greatest is as disrespectful as it is futile. Every great dared to be great. Every legend spent thousands of hours chasing the legend(s) who came before them. They all touched every line. They might have employed a number of “veteran tactics”, but they never cheated the game. They all started out as kids with a dream. Sports fans care so much because we watched him for the better part of 25 years. We remember hearing about this high school phenom. We watched him grow up.

Sports are more than little kids pretending to be their heroes and old men vicariously living through young men. Almost 40 years after going to my first basketball game with my dad we still watch and attend games together. We are shareholders in a tradition worth passing down. A.I., Kobe, D. Wade and Lebron begat K.D. Steph, Kawhi and Giannis. Debating who is the “G.O.A.T.” kills time, but it doesn’t matter. They are all great. All of them are mourning the loss of someone who earned their respect.

Topics:

Personal

A Response To Second Amendment Sanctuary Counties

Danny Cardwell — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 16:50:09 +0000

Greetings fellow Dagbloggers. I hope you all are doing well. It's been a few weeks since the Commonwealth of Virginia turned BLUE. It's been 25 years since the Democrats controlled the Governor's mansion and both houses. This has already caused panic in some of the more conservative rural areas. Several counties are seeking to create "2nd Amendment Sanctuary Counties".

This is more than a fad. I wrote a response in the form of an oped that was published in the November 27th edition of The Recorder.

In the last few weeks I’ve seen numerous social media posts soliciting online support for the creation of 2nd Amendment sanctuary counties. Many of these posts are shared out of sincere concern over potential restrictions to the right to bear arms. Some are purely partisan vitriol. Either way, this is another issue in which well intentioned people end up screaming past each other.

For the record, I support the right to bear arms; as Malcolm X once said, “A man with a rifle or a club can only be stopped by a person who defends himself with a rifle or a club. That's equality.”

However, I part ways with the idea of creating 2nd Amendment sanctuary counties. This isn’t personal and I don’t think people who support these petitions are bad. I have practical reasons for my opposition.

First, the Second Amendment already has limitations that have been codified into law. Fully automatic weapons haven’t been available in this country for over 30 years. We should move forward with this fact squarely in our minds. Any debate about future limitations should be rooted in the fact that the door to limitations has been open since the 1934 National Fire Arms Act.

Second, the creation of 2nd Amendment sanctuary counties does not protect businesses or citizens. This is a feel-good form of activism. There is nothing in any of these petitions that grants immunity to any of the signers. In essence, this is protest without action. You showed up said you were upset, but didn’t do anything to affect real change.

Lastly, the consequences for not following any legislation passed in Richmond would fall squarely on the shoulders of local elected officials. None of the signers of these petitions would be forced to make the decisions or face the consequences elected officials, Commonwealth Attorneys and/or Sheriffs would face.

Hypothetically speaking, imagine a piece of legislation is passed in Richmond calling for the ban of semiautomatic weapons in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Who honestly believes our political class would risk their livelihoods, pensions and/or freedom to oppose any law deemed Constitutional?

The next time you see your elected representative, sheriff or commonwealth attorney ask yourself: would this person risk their mortgage or go to jail for my right to bear arms?

The majority of candidates in local races run for office without declaring their political affiliations. We’re supposed to believe politicians too politically calculating (or afraid) to tell us their political beliefs would stand in the gap for us with something more important than their next election on the line?

I’m glad to see so many people engaging in the public square. I believe in protest. Successful protests have broken the back of some of the most egregious evils in our country’s history. However, every protest that’s ever bore fruit required sacrifice. Signing a petition without any practical or actionable plan isn’t sacrifice.

I wish more of you were concerned about Constitutional Rights when the 4th Amendment Rights of your fellow citizens were being trampled by stop-and-frisk policies. I empathize with the distrust many of you now feel towards government and law enforcement. I stand in solidarity with you, but this isn’t the way.

Topics:

Politics

How Should We Think About Impeachment?

Danny Cardwell — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 03:36:03 +0000

Impeachment hearings are here whether we want them or not. The next few weeks, like all of the weeks before them, will be full of misinformation and half truths.

There will be concerted efforts made by politicians and members of the media/entertainment complex to smear and attack people: most of whom none of us have ever heard of.

Some of you will feel a knee jerk reaction to defend politicians and/or public figures you identify with. This is a natural instinct; I'm not asking anyone to transcend their humanity. I'm asking each and everyone to use their commonsense. Think about all of this in a clear and simplified way.

Ask yourself:

1. Who has more motivation to tell the truth: someone under oath- who potentially faces perjury or someone outside of the legal scope of this investigation- who doesn't face any consequences for their words?

2. Why would so many career civil servants risk their pensions and their family's economic future to come forward?

3. Would you feel differently about any of the sworn statements or testimony if it were given about a politician you didn't identify with?

4. What do all of the investigations, guilty pleas, and convictions say about this White House?

5. Who benefits from the way you feel?

There will be people trying to convince you not to believe what you are hearing and seeing. There will be people ascribing the most insidious motives to their fellow citizens. There will be people, with a history of lying, trying to convince you they are telling the truth. There will be people trying to convince you that loyalty to ideology and political affiliation is more important than loyalty to the principles of truth and justice.

Donald Trump's innocence and guilt has already been decided by a majority of the country. There are people on both sides of the aisle who won't be swayed by any evidence that challenges their beliefs. We know this, but it shouldn't stop us from thinking critically about this process.

The next few weeks will be a test of our collective integrity. We will either call a thing by its name or we will twist ourselves into knots to avoid speaking the truth. We will invest our intellectual horsepower into substantive dialogue or we will chase every distraction waved in front of us. We make this choice as individuals and collectively.

Our judgement won't come from our peers in this moment, but from the progeny we bequeath this country to. This thought should dictate how we move forward.

Topics:

Politics

What Unplugging Did For Me!

Danny Cardwell — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 15:52:35 +0000

On September 21st, I celebrated two months free from politics. I didn’t avoid the news, but I didn’t talk or write about the the controversies emanating from Richmond or Washington.

This was hard. My blog and several of the platforms that publish my work are very political. I’ve written hundreds of articles, blog posts and editorials about politics. None of them prepared me for the daily grind of covering this administration.

Writing about politics has become exhausting: not because of the constant scandals or the amount of time it takes to properly research a story, but because of the polarization. We are so fractured that telling the truth is often perceived as being divisive. I was tired of defending facts and basic standards of decency from people who spent the last few decades lecturing the rest of us about morality.

There is very little, if any, space between our politics and identities. Any critique of an idea, politician or political party is too often viewed as an attack on everyone who supports a particular ideology or party. This is unfortunate. We are far to complex to have the totality of our being subsumed under such narrow categories.

I convinced myself I could challenge people who thought differently than me to see the world through my eyes. After a lot of reflection I was forced to admit that my efforts were more harmful than helpful. I wasted a lot of time and energy trying to reach people who didn’t want to be reached.

So, I stopped. I took a break. I removed myself from the equation. This allowed me to spend more time with my family and friends, but more importantly: I used my time and creative energy to focus on the beauty around me. I started taking pictures; pictures of family, friends, nature anything that caught my attention.

I will always speak and write my truth. I will never stop questioning the status quo. I will continue to passionately engage the world around me. Unplugging forced me to get my nose out of books, my eyes off of monitors and my hands off of keyboards. I forced myself to look at the world. I didn’t just smell the roses I stopped long enough to admire their beauty.

Topics:

Personal

Ben Shapiro Met A Journalist: Meltdown Ensued

Danny Cardwell — Mon, 13 May 2019 15:28:58 +0000

“This whole thing is a waste of time. Frankly, I don’t care — I don’t frankly give a damn what you think of me since I’ve never heard of you... I think we’re done here.”

When I saw Ben Shapiro trending on Twitter my imagination started running wild. Did he have another college visit canceled? Did someone expose plagiarism in his latest book? Was he subpoenaed to testify by the House Judiciary Committee?

My mind raced from one morbid conclusion to another. What happened that set social media on fire?

Instead of being a good husband and enjoying a peaceful Friday at home with my wife, I watched this video and started writing. OMG! This could have been a masterclass in contrarian journalism. His BBC interview with Conservative Journalist Andrew Neil was better than anything I could have imagined.

Shapiro knew he was in trouble when his arrogant and condescending brand of deflecting from tough questions didn't work. His career was built on his ability to dictate the terms of debate. His bait and switch style of avoiding tough questions is predicated on creating some ridiculous ad hominem fallacy and forcing his protagonist to defend an indefensible position they likely don't hold. Andrew Neil didn't take the bait.

What happened to Ben Shapiro is what happens to pseudo-intellectuals who are forced to defend their elementary arguments at the grownups table. He thought this interview would be a great chance to hock his book across the pond. He was wrong. His narcissism and immaturity is all anyone is talking about.

I've watched this interview twice. This was a perfect opportunity for Shapiro to cement his status as an intellectual leader of the modern conservative movement. He failed. He failed because he's spent too much time in the echo chamber. No one benefits from avoiding challenges to their ideology and worldview. Years of debating stoned undergrads and having his beliefs confirmed by Fox news pundits have caused him to believe the voices in his head telling him he's a genius.

Ben Shapiro, Glenn Beck, Dan Bongino and Sean Hannity are intellectuals for people who don't read. The fact that serious conservative voices have been replaced by this group of lightweights hurts the country. Public policy is being driven by people who don't have a fundamental understanding of history, governance, our problems or how to fix them. This is every bit as sad as it is funny.

Topics:

Personal

Your Blog Is Valuable!

Danny Cardwell — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 17:16:27 +0000

Photo Danny Cardwell

There's more to blogging than writing! For every blogger capable of seamlessly weaving together succinct ideas at blazing speeds there are hundreds, if not thousands, slowly throwing words at a screen hoping they stick. Both groups are part of the same historical, social and cultural epoch. Our blogs, no matter how silly or serious, have the potential to be part of a larger canon. Our words confirm or refute the dominant narratives about the events defining our present and shaping the future. This is valuable. Historians and sociologist of the past would have loved to have access to all of the information we produce.

Blogging isn't about who writes the best sentences or has the biggest audience. We are conquerors. We colonized territories once dominated by traditional media, think tanks and academia. We are a snapshot into a moment; we are the reflection of our audience. Our true value isn't measured in dollars and clicks, but in perseverance and authenticity.

Our blogs form a block of information previously unavailable. So much of the history we learned as children was shaped by people who had access to wealth and power. This doesn't necessarily mean their motives were bad, but events are perceived differently depending on circumstances. There are so many instances where the voiceless were rendered invisible by the people who thought they were telling their story. How many of the books written about America’s move from an agrarian based economy to a manufacturing based economy do you think were written by farmers needing to learn industrial skills?

If you are a blogger, THANKS! Producing content can be difficult. Blogging requires more time and energy than most of us have. Blogging is often a thankless and fruitless endeavor. I respect anyone dedicated to honing their craft. Every blog has value: even if you are struggling to find the value in your own work.

If you are thinking about starting a blog, stop thinking and start blogging. Don’t worry about picking the perfect platform, templates or themes: all of those details will work themselves out over time. Don’t obsess over sentence structure or grammar: those details will also work themselves out. If you have something to say: say it. Presentation is important, but not as important as content. Your audience is waiting on you.

Topics:

Personal

Going Viral During The Superbowl

Danny Cardwell — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 17:16:53 +0000

On April 6, 2017, I asked a fellow blogger and activist to share a poem she'd written on Dagblog. Hannah was incredibly busy, but said she would set up a profile and consider blogging here from time to time. By 1:00 pm she published DEAR COLIN KAEPERNICK: ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS PLAY THE GAME, BOY. Her post generated 10,000 clicks and over 45 comments. Impressive to say the least!

Her poem wasn't very well received on our platform. She was amazed at how triggering her words were and all the time people invested in commenting. Hannah ended up voicing her poem and publishing it as a spoken word piece. Sadly, Hannah never published on this platform again.

However, since she posted here she has written two books, was nominated in 2018, for Poet Laureate for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and yesterday went viral when her poem was shared by Ava Duverney, Colin Kaepernick and Janelle Monae just to name a few.

If you have some time today read some of the comments her poem generated here.

Topics:

Personal

Governor Northam: Exhibit (A) In The Case Against Politicians

Danny Cardwell — Sun, 03 Feb 2019 21:56:41 +0000

Rudolph Cardwell Sr., Perlista Henry, Ralph Northam, Linda Cardwell, Danny Cardwell

Ralph has to go! There's no way he can continue as the Governor of Virginia. This is a painful sentence to write, but a necessary one. I've covered the Governor at a debate, a ribbon cutting, and a few other small events. I've met him a handful of times. I sincerely thought he was the real deal. He came off as a kind and caring person, but he has to resign. I was fooled. We all were fooled. He. Has. To. Go.

If Governor Northam turned over a new leaf and changed his "past" racist ways he did a horrible job of trying to convince us. His press conference was painful. He either doesn't get the outrage behind his past actions or doesn't care. His apology was almost as disappointing as his yearbook photo and past fascination with Blackface. He acted as if he found out Friday this picture existed. He expected us to believe that a 25 year old intelligent medical student didn't have the intellectual horsepower to know how offensive those images have always been. He. Has. To.Go.

Governor Northam is the kind of politician older Black activist have been warning me about. He's the kind of politician I've been writing about since I started participating in politics. He's the kind of white politician who shows up in Black churches singing hymns and talking about how bad racism is. He's the kind of Democratic politician who understands how important the Black vote is and will say anything to get it. He's the kind of politician who makes communities of color distrustful of election year shenanigans. His presences in the Governor's mansion is a slap in the face to voters of color who have been taken for granted by the very politicians they entrusted with their support. He. Has. To. Go.

This has been a disastrous week for the governor. He started out having his words willfully distorted concerning Delegate Kathy Tran's abortion bill, and now he is facing calls for his resignation by many of the Virginia (and national) politicians who helped him ascend to the office of Lieutenant Governor and ultimately Governor. I'm sure he wishes he could return to the good ole days where the most controversial issue he had to deal with was the amount of money he has taken from Dominion Energy and his tacit support of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. He has to resign before Virginia Democrats are forced to impeach him. The only noble thing left for him to do in Virginia politics is save us from the media circus that would follow impeachment proceedings. He. Has. To. Go.

Topics:

Personal

Politics

When Satire Exposes Hate

Danny Cardwell — Sat, 02 Feb 2019 03:59:30 +0000

Nancy Pelosi is one of the few politicians who can say they have favorability, likeability, and approval ratings comparable to the president. According to a Monmouth University poll, Nancy Pelosi’s approval rating doubled after the government shutdown. The poll found that 34 percent of voters thought she was doing a good job— twice as high as the same poll found in November of 2018, when her approval rating was 17 percent. She doubled her approval rating and was still 16 points below 50%. There are legitimate reasons to like or dislike Nancy Pelosi, but more times than not people base their reasoning on the caricature of Nancy Pelosi.

About a week ago I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw that one of my friends shared an article from "BEBEST.WEBSITE". I wasn't familiar with the website, so I was hesitant to click the link. I was going to settle for just reading the comments. Let! Me! Tell! You! They didn't disappoint. These people formed some very strong opinions about an article they either didn't read or understand. After reading the 20 or so comments I had to read the piece that inspired such hatred.

The article opened as follows:

As the new Congress prepares to take control tomorrow, presumptive Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a final legislative offer to President Trump this morning : the border wall will be funded and built – in exchange for passing a bill banning the ownership and use of all firearms in the United States by private citizens. Pelosi’s edict sent shockwaves through Washington.

Pelosi noted that Fema and U.N. troops, already mobile from Operation Jade Helm, are ready to begin house-by-house confiscation, and sites in the Nevada desert and Utah plains have been readied for mass weapon meltdowns and burials. Liberal gun legislation activists like David Hogg and Taylor Swift have expressed overwhelming support for the ban.

I don't know how anyone could read the first two paragraphs of this piece and think it was serious, but there are people who did. Sadly, this is happening about issues of great importance. Critical thinking and literacy are more important now than ever. A former teacher once told me she spent the first 10 years of her career teaching her students how to find information and the last 23 years teaching them how to wade through the information overload. I'm amazed at how often people will chime in on conversations they know absolutely nothing about. We are allowed to research a topic before commenting on it.

Facts aren't politically motivated. Facts are the cornerstone of truth. The constant attacks on the institutions of higher learning and the media have convinced a generation of people to be distrustful of any information that challenges their worldview. This will continue to hurt real people as long as terms like "liberal media", "intellectual" and "fake News" permeate the right-wing lexicon. I use to think a lot of Donald Trump's people were ignoring his daily lying, but now I'm certain many of them just don't know the difference.

Here are some of the better comments. Even though they were made publicly, I redacted all of the identities except mine: I don't think it's fair to embarrass their family members. Also, I apologize for the language used: these are "good God-fearing Christian Conservatives", but something about Nancy Pelosi causes them to forget their upbringing.

Topics:

Personal

Politics