Richard F. Dawahare, Esq.

02/22/2025

Your WILL, your Way
MY HELP!
Elder, Estate planning, and probate lawyer at your service!

10/29/2024

Heed the “Never Befores” to avoid the “Never Again”

My fellow Americans. Because I care, I am about to do something I have never done before; and because you care, I hope and pray you will.

I do this because never before in the history of our nation has the candidate of one of the two major political parties displayed the principles and followed the playbook of America’s worst enemy, Adolf Hi**er. And not just now, but from the time he entered the national political stage.

And I do so because there is a superb alternative in Vice President Kamala Harris, who stands for the traditional American values that have led us to victory over such fascist enemies and made us the beacon of hope to a weary and waiting world. She exudes class, compassion, and pragmatic policies that economists, business leaders, top military brass, and former Republican Vice Presidents applaud. Therefore, I respectfully and humbly pray you will give your vote to Kamala Harris in this election.

It is the long list of “Never Befores” that should give you pause: Never before has a candidate like Donald Trump promised to terminate the Constitution, our nation’s hallowed founding document. Never before has one so demonized sitting Vice Presidents and Congressmen, calling them “the enemies from within” and unmentionable expletives.

Never before has one praised enemy dictators of America and said he would be a dictator on day one if elected. Never before in America has one so consistently and unrepentantly spewed lies and heaped contempt on the poor and powerless, some of the least among us: migrants, immigrants, minorities, and even those of his own party for nothing more than righteously stand up against him.

Never before has one heaped contempt on our veterans, calling those who made the ultimate sacrifice “suckers and losers.” Never before has a candidate promised to imprison his political opponents, and use the American military against Democratic citizens. Never before has one supported a Project 2025 agenda guaranteed to destroy our nation’s 250-year history of checks and balances and giving the president unchecked supreme power. Never before has one held hate-filled rallies like the one yesterday at Madison Square Garden.

Never before have such esteemed military leaders like General Stanley McChrystal, General John Kelly, and General Mark Milley (who called Trump “fascist to the core”) opposed a candidate and supported his opponent. Never before have former Republican Vice Presidents (Dick Cheney and Mike Pence) and other Republican leaders anxious to rebuild their once-grand party united against the Republican candidate and solidly for the Democrat, Kamala Harris.

As the New York Times concluded, “Donald Trump says he will prosecute his enemies, order mass deportations, use soldiers against citizens, play politics with disasters and abandon allies. Believe him.”

I do, and that’s why I make this plea. I realize this is a big ask in a state like Kentucky, where more than 60% of Kentuckians voted for Donald Trump in 2016. Still, I am called to do all I can with the light given to me. When I meet my maker and I’m asked what I did during the most pivotal moment in our nation’s history, I do not want to be found lacking.

Beyond Trump’s historic unfitness lies Vice President Harris’s winning platform, which is celebrated by business leaders, economists, military leaders, and over 700 national security officials. Her platform includes actions that will cut taxes for middle-class families, make rent more affordable and home ownership more attainable, grow small businesses and invest in entrepreneurs, take on bad actors and bring down costs, strengthen and bring down the cost of health care, protect and strengthen social security and Medicare, support American innovation and workers, provide a pathway to the middle class through quality, affordable education, invest in affordable child care and long term care, lower energy costs and tackle the climate crisis, and support bi-partisan border control and immigration reform.

And contrary to Trump’s false propaganda America is surging upward. For instance, our economy leads the world and continues to improve, with interest rates and inflation going down, now at 2.4% as consumer price growth slowed to its lowest pace since February 2021, and surging job growth; immigrants are far less likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens, violent crime rates are down and continue to drop. Unlike their counterpart, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz lead with compassion, kindness, and fairness to all, committed to protecting our freedoms and the American Way.

We are the United States of America. The souls and spirits of our founders breathe upon us now. The humble, steady strength of George Washington and the wisdom of Thomas Jefferson, joined by Benjamin Franklin and James Madison, in penning our Constitution with its Bill of Rights. Their souls ring out for leaders in their mold, with an unshakeable commitment to strengthen this solid foundation and America’s noble calling as the world’s city on the hill.

We must heed these “never befores” today, so that we can avoid the necessity of saying “never again” tomorrow.

Richard F. Dawahare October 28, 2024

10/23/2024

For your enrichment...

Daily reflection, inspiration, and podcast

Inspiring readers since 1935, the Forward Day by Day meditation is a significant resource for daily prayer and Bible study to more than a half million readers worldwide.

10/23/2024

Today's Inbox Morning Devotional:

KNOW WHERE TO LOOK

Jesus said, “Father, if you are willing, take away this cup of suffering” (Luke 22:42 NCV). Jesus could have confided in his disciples. He could have assembled a prayer meeting. But when he faced fear he went first to his Father. Oh, how we tend to go everywhere else. First to the bar, to the counselor, to the self-help book, or to the friend next door. Not Jesus. The first one to hear his fear was his Father in heaven.

A millennium earlier David was urging the fear-filled to do the same. “I will fear no evil.” How could David make such a claim? Because he knew where to look. Rather than turn to the other sheep, David turned to the Shepherd. Rather than stare at the problems, he stared at the rod and staff. Because he knew where to look, David was able to say, “I will fear no evil.”
MAX LUCADO

10/21/2024

When we see a homeless soul, REMEMBER the ULTIMATE homeless soul.
From Forward Day by Day:
MONDAY, October 21
Luke 9:58b The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

Years ago, about 15 minutes before worship was to start, someone came up to me and said they found a houseless person sleeping in the back part of the church property. “Don’t worry,” he continued with a smile. “I chased him out of here. And he won’t...” Before he could finish, I ran off to find this person, but he was long gone. Worship that day started a little late, but honestly, it felt a bit empty for me—even though I was presiding over it. The church member and I had a conversation after worship about how to approach this kind of situation next time with a bit more grace.

I’m always confused about why we treat our houseless siblings with more contempt than grace. Many Christians will ignore a houseless person on their way to church to offer worship to Jesus, who lived an itinerant life.

Theologian Willie Jennings says, “Disciples are watched, especially by those in need. Disciples must be seen, especially by those in need.”

Inspiring readers since 1935, the Forward Day by Day meditation is a significant resource for daily prayer and Bible study to more than a half million readers worldwide.

10/18/2024

TO YOUR HEALTH (medical AND spiritual):
Just when I wonder if all the medications that abound are righteous and necessary, I read today's passage from the Episcopal lectionary:

Sirach 38:1-4,6-10,12-14

Honor physicians for their services, for the Lord created them; for their gift of healing comes from the Most High, and they are rewarded by the king. The skill of physicians makes them distinguished, and in the presence of the great they are admired. The Lord created medicines out of the earth, and the sensible will not despise them. And he gave skill to human beings that he might be glorified in his marvelous works. By them the physician heals and takes away pain; the pharmacist makes a mixture from them. God's works will never be finished; and from him health spreads over all the earth. My child, when you are ill, do not delay, but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you. Give up your faults and direct your hands rightly, and cleanse your heart from all sin. Then give the physician his place, for the Lord created him; do not let him leave you, for you need him. There may come a time when recovery lies in the hands of physicians, for they too pray to the Lord that he grant them success in diagnosis and in healing, for the sake of preserving life.

10/18/2024

"IF IT'S NOT GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR, IT'S NOT THE GOSPEL."

From the Episcopal Forward Day by Day:
FRIDAY, October 18
Saint Luke, Evangelist

Luke 4:18a The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

If you belong to a church, what is the mission statement of your church? Ours at Mosaic Episcopal Church is “to know Jesus and to make Jesus known.” Everything we do as a church is filtered through our mission statement. When people want to add a ministry or try something new, we ask, “How does this help people know Jesus? How does this make Jesus known to people?” If we can’t provide a clear answer, then we know the proposal is not something to spend energy, time, and resources on. Mission statements help clarify who we are and why we exist.

Jesus laid out his mission statement in Luke 4 before his hometown. One of my favorite pastors, the Rev. Mike Slaughter, once declared:
“If it’s not good news to the poor, it’s not the gospel.”

Jesus surely lived up to his mission statement. Are we living up to it, too?

Inspiring readers since 1935, the Forward Day by Day meditation is a significant resource for daily prayer and Bible study to more than a half million readers worldwide.

10/08/2024

To your spiritual health--

Today's Collect from the Episcopal lectionary:

The Collect of the Day
"Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

10/07/2024

Saving lives by showing love...

"When Andrea Jones’ 16-year-old son told her he was going to the movies as he walked out the door just after Christmas 2022, she knew it was a lie. Their relationship was strained. Her son had an attitude, she said, and he was doing terribly in school. He sometimes ran away from home and broke into stores. His actions were so volatile, his siblings and mother felt tense and anxious about what he may do next. When he looked at his mother’s face and lied that night, Jones told the Herald-Leader, she just had no fight left in her. “This is the hardest thing I have had to go through as a parent,” Jones said. “Knowing that life is going to have to teach them and (my kids) won’t let me do it, and that could result in jail or death.” No sooner than she could sit down to order dinner, she got a call from the Lexington Police Department. Police arrested her son after he was found riding around in a stolen car with fi****ms and ma*****na. Jones’ son and his two friends attempted to flee the police on foot. TOP VIDEOS “When the police called with that, my son thought I could just get him out, but I said, ‘Honey you have done it. You have done something bigger than me. The only way I can help you is if you tell the truth,’” Jones recalled. When she went to see her son in jail, she saw a boy she hadn’t seen in a long time. Stripped down to jail garb, she could see the reality of the situation weighing on him. When he got out, he was put on probation. He still attempted to maintain a relationship with the boys he’d gotten into trouble with, refusing to accept things so desperately needed to be different. “This is it for my son,” Jones accepted. “This is a turning point, and he is going to keep on going to jail, until he figures it out. This is the beginning of my son in the revolving door.” Fate intervened and her son was offered the chance to participate in a new program in Fayette County — the first of its kind in the state — that could give him a fresh start. PROGRAM ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING MODEL FOR FAYETTE COUNTY YOUTH Fayette County Juvenile Treatment Court was created in March 2022 by district court judges Melissa Murphy and Lindsay Hughes Thurston. It is an alternative sentencing court model which uses combined methods to reduce the number of kids reentering the system while increasing their overall wellness by addressing the root causes of trauma. The foundation of the program began when Thurston and Murphy were prosecutors and saw the need for a different approach in the juvenile court system to address crimes that could have stemmed from young offenders’ pervasive trauma. As judges, they see everything in court from a dog running at-large to murder. But the common thread in many juvenile cases is the necessity of community support, individualized plans and the role of mentors paired with at-risk youth. “We can give the penalty. We can make them be on probation. We can do it. But if we don’t ever address the root cause, then it’s just going to grow again,” Murphy said. Participation in the juvenile treatment court is voluntary by both the child and the parent. Kids are referred into the program through a designated court worker, the Fayette Family Court or Fayette Juvenile Court. Kivvi Figgs, program coordinator with Fayette County Public Schools, is an instrumental part of the staff and participants’ success, according to the judges and families, who everyone lovingly calls “Ms. Kivvi.” “I love what I do. I love that the way that the court has set this up and made it all work. I love getting to know the kids,” Figgs said. The program contains a four-phased approach that requires no new charges, an individual participant plan, assessment and drug screening. The participants take part in programs like ONE Lexington, drug education, public events at the library, safety seminars, Goodwill reentry simulations, Lex Tran education, yoga, therapy, weekly tutoring and aquatics. As of Sept. 30, 11 youths have graduated from the program, five of whom have graduated from Fayette County Public Schools. Looking back, Jones was surprised her son wanted to participate. Now, as a graduate of the program, Jones said her son did a complete 180. “It is not even, ‘Oh I got my son back,’” she said. “I have never known this version of my son.” Throughout the program, her son participated in group meets with other program participants and even took a yoga class. He chose to do community service, where he volunteered with the elderly. During the program’s inception,

Read more at:

Since March 2022, the juvenile treatment court has had 11 graduates, and five have graduated high school.

10/06/2024

To your (spiritual) health!

From Max Lucado

ETERNAL GLORY
Certain chapters in this life seem so unnecessary. Suffering. Loneliness. Disease. Holocausts. Martyrdom. Hurricanes, earthquakes, monsoons. If we assume this world exists just for pre-grave happiness, these atrocities disqualify it from doing so. But what if this earth is the womb? Might these challenges, severe as they may be, serve to prepare us, to equip us for the world to come?

The apostle Paul would think so. He wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17, “These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing.” Eternal glory? I’d like a large cup of that, wouldn’t you? Go ahead and request it. The barista is brewing that cup for you. And everything in this life is preparing you for the next.

Max Lucado

09/28/2024

Gratitude and Thanksgiving, a prelude to the holiday we should keep every day of every year:

THANK YOU to KU and their incredible team, working tirelessly to restore our power. Last night was actually a serene break from the normal power-filled flights of distraction disguised as entertainment, enlightenment, it was dark save the muted glow of my Duracell flashlight, pointed at the most inspirational readings I could find. Fell asleep at maybe 9:30, the earliest since second grade! Woke a couple of times, flashlight on to more reading back to sleep, up naturally with the day's light, not to be snuffed by the rain-soaked clouds. Ran in the rain, showered in semi-dark, met a client emergency, went to Florence Costco to see what they had in the way of lighting options, an excuse to go to Zambrero's, the best Mexican or Tex-Mex ??, fast casual restaurant you have never heard of, across from Florence Mall, where we used to have a store, and where I worked the summer before my last year of law school, working 8 to 9 pm and then going into Cincinnati EVERY night, Mt. Adams, the Precinct, playing and winning backgammon games against young Iranians, Persians, where the ancient game was invented, then UP again the next day, 8-9, next to Starbucks on Mall Road.

Checked the KU outage update, but did not expect the power would be on yet--and it showed it was not. No problem, I have so much to be thankful for. Back home, visited a friend, saw Trader Joe's and that neighborhood was still out of power. But I get home and saw my inside light was on--I'VE GOT POWER!!!

We take things for granted, so many things, so many PEOPLE. Thank you, God, for all your have given us, and most of all, each other. Thank you KU and your workers, without whom we would all be suffering, and ALL your counterparts in so many enterprises who also make our lives liveable and better: water, police, fire, EMS, waste managers, truckers, deliverers, stock and sales people, clerks, call agents, on and on and on, THANK YOU ALL!!

09/14/2024

Bible study! I'm encouraged to read the Bible, which I have done (somewhat irregularly) all my adult life. I sometimes pray for the Spirit to move me to some random passage. Uncanny, I hit on something that smacks of truth and that corroborates my LIBERAL, PROGRESSIVE being. Here's one, for example:

MALACHI 3:5
5 “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.