The time for advise and consent is now, Mr. President

Last night, while many of us throughout America were either sitting down to Thursday dinner or enjoying an evening of "must-watch" prime-time television, the U.S. made a direct attack of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Syria (where it was already early Friday morning) in retaliation for the gruesome chemical weapons attack against civilians by the Assad regime.

The attack represented the first direct American assault on the Syrian government and President Donald Trump's "most dramatic military order since becoming president."

The airfield strikes denoted a very big change in U.S. policy – and it was done without the President seeking congressional approval. "Assad's vicious brutality demands a response," said Congressman Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) on his Facebook page. "But this country doesn't fight wars without giving the American people a say." Many others in Congress conveyed the same thoughts as Kennedy.

There's a lot to digest here and both American and international media are weighing in on this story of world consequences. It's front-page "real" news across this country and the video images have been splashed all over various American cable TV news networks almost continuously since last evening.

There's one little thing that I am just a little troubled by. Perhaps, you are, too. The President said during his speech to the nation Thursday, delivered from a makeshift podium inside Mar-a-Lago, where earlier he had been hosting a dinner for the Chinese President: "No child of God should suffer such horror." Hmm. ... So,  he sees them now as children of God, but not when they are trying to escape the danger of civil war and chemical weapons?

Air strike or not, Mr. President, we must welcome Syrian refugees into our country like our good neighbors to the north, Canada, have been doing with dignity and humanity for some time. The time to act, sir, is now.

On art and politics: "We the People ... "

We the People of the United States ...

In just four days, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. With a lot of division surfacing throughout the country, many Americans are looking to art as a means of connecting us as human beings.

We the People ...
 are greater than fear.

"We the People are greater than fear," reads the message of a new poster created by Shepard Fairey, the graphic arts, muralist, illustrator and activist behind the iconic 2008 Hope posters he created for Barack Obama. Another new poster reads "We the People protect each other" and the third one says "We the People defend dignity."

There is a lot of division right now. Trump is not a healer," says Fairey. "Art, on the other hand, is healing and inclusive, whether topically it celebrates humanity, or whether it's just compelling visuals to make a human connection."

Interviewed recently by the PBS NewsHour, Fairey said "it was the right time to make a campaign that's about diversity and inclusion, about people seeing the common bonds we have, and our connections as human beings. The idea was to take back a lot of this patriotic language in a way that we see is positive and progressive, and not let it be hijacked by people who want to say that the American flag or American concepts only represent one narrow way of thinking."

Shepard has created three portraits for the "We the People" campaign. One depicts a Muslim woman wrapped in a hijab resembling an American flag. Another shows a young African-American girl and the third features a Latina female.

We the People ...
protect each other.

Two other artists, the Colombian American muralist Jessica Sabogal and the Chicano graphic artist Ernesto Yerena, each contributed to the project in collaboration with the Amplifier Foundation, a nonprofit that works to amplify grassroots movements and which commissioned the project. Together, the artists hope the faces of "We the People" – standing in for traditionally marginalized groups or those specifically targeted during Trump's presidential campaign – will flood Washington, D.C., on Friday during Inauguration Day.

According to Fairey, "All the subjects (in 'We the People') were photographed by people who relate to them somehow. The Muslim woman was shot by a Muslim photographer, the Latina woman shot by a Latino photographer, and the African-American kid shot by a French African-American woman photographer. We realized that this has got to be a diverse coalition of artists for us to do this, and that while it's good for us to be allies, this campaign really has to be authentically diverse."

Fairey went on to say in the PBS NewsHour interview, "We came to a conclusion as a group that in the language (for these posters) we want to say, 'We reject fear-mongering and exclusion.' But we also wanted to do it in a way that doesn't leave the door open for the Fox News type to say, 'This is reverse racism' ..."

We the People ...
defend dignity.

Adds Fairey: "It's hard to encapsulate the complexity of what we're facing, going into this Trump presidency, in three images. But we chose three groups that are vulnerable. In the history of the U.S., there are a lot of people who fled persecution from Europe on the basis of religious identities. The idea of championing the ideals of our forefathers and then limiting the movement of Muslims – it so confounding that this is not riling more people up. And so it's really time to do some (work) that I think is a counterargument to that, and that's not based on division but based on inclusion. We've seen where division has got us."

A Kickstarter campaign has begun that according to Fairey is "getting great traction." He said a goal of his group is funding an ongoing and expanding range of creative projects, with the next wave of people from all different communities. "We want to allow people to express all their social/political views around a number of issues – LGBT rights, women's rights – because a number of those things are going to be under attack under Trump."

Photos: We the People images by Shepard Fairey; U.S. Constitution courtesy of Google Images.

2014 FIFA World Cup: Still much drama to come

American true grit / U.S. goalie Tim Howard's 16 saves against
Belgium was the most in a World Cup match since 1966.

If there's one thing I've learned during the first three week's of the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament, it's this: International football (still referred to by most in my country as soccer) is a truly global game, but with a new world order in the making.

Old Europe -- as represented by England, Italy and Spain -- are out. New Europe -- defined by Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland -- are in. Somehow, France just keeps on winning by the slimmest of margins while Germany just plain wins.

Meanwhile, Central and South America, represented by Argentina, upstart Costa Rica and host nation Brazil, have played very well, and Colombia is all business-like in this year's World Cup. Lionel Messi has been, well ... Messi the Great, always a treat to watch when he has the ball on his left foot. He rescues his team -- and, by extension, his country -- when they need him the most. And, both the Canarinho and the Ticos, that's Brazil and Costa Rica, respectively, were blessed to have advanced to the quarterfinals last weekend, thanks to winning on penalty kicks -- the ultimate tie-break experience.

Among those who advanced out of group play, Mexico, Nigeria and Algeria each acquitted themselves nicely and each showed they belonged in the new world order.

Two of the remaining teams, Costa Rica and Colombia, have reached the quarterfinals -- the last eight -- for the first time. There are four repeat teams from four years ago: Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands and Argentina.

Further north up the Americas, the United States gained a lot of attention and national interest even when it wasn't always winning. On Tuesday, Team USA got its chance to play OT when it fought to a nil-nil tie after 90+ minutes of regulation time against Belgium. Like four years ago when it lost to Ghana, lightening struck twice against the Americans and Belgium scored early during the extra time period en route to a thrilling 2-1 victory in Salvador, Brazil.

Here in the U.S., we're used to clear-cut outcomes in our sporting events. So, imagine our surprise when a recent draw against Portugal felt like a victory and we celebrated after a 1-0 loss to Germany because it still advanced the Stars and Stripes out of their vaunted "Group of Death" and into the "Knockout Round" against Belgium. What we've learned is this: International football can be won by the slimmest of margins and lost by the slimmest of margins, too. And, they play on during stoppage time until the referee blows his whistle.

Sometimes, it's alright to be valiant in defeat.

In describing the Americans' grit following their elimination by Belgium, Jeré Longman wrote in The New York Times: "All the great rush and fevered desperation were spent now, the tension released. Their bodies and chances exhausted, the Americans bent over, collapsed to the ground on their backs, stared ahead at what might have been.

"In another epic game in a mesmerizing World Cup, the United States took Belgium to the edge of its marvelous capability. The Americans absorbed wave after wave of attacks, countered with the fearlessness of youth and survived for long stretches on the gymnastic goalkeeping of Tim Howard, whose dexterous arms and legs seemed to be playing soccer, hockey and basketball all at once."

U.S. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann said of his team: "I think they all went to their limits." Goalie Tim Howard, still one of the world's best at age 35, made 16 saves Tuesday, the most by a goalie in a World Cup match since 1966. Howard single-handedly kept the game within reach for the Americans.

The U.S. took us for quite a thrilling ride through its four matches: a victory over Ghana, a draw against Portugal, and close losses to Germany and Belgium. "It's really awesome getting through the group, but it means nothing," Howard said before the Belgium match. "The sting of failure is the same if you lose in this round as if you didn't get out of the group."

Collectively, five of the eight Round of 16 games went to extra time, the most since the round was introduced in the 1986 World Cup. Each of the eight games was won by the team that won its group.

Throughout the U.S., there has been been plenty of national attention given the World Cup, coast to coast, from New York to San Francisco, as well as in heartland cities like Kansas City and Chicago. Our eyes have been glued to the action. It's been a national, shared experience for sports fans of all ages. Personally, the World Cup has given me an opportunity to talk international football with Facebook friends from Mexico, Costa Rica and Algeria, and to learn what it's like to be a fan of in each of those countries -- even to care about those teams, too.

ESPN, the U.S.-based global cable and satellite television channel that is primarily owned by The Walt Disney Company, has provided North American fans with tremendous TV coverage, both visually and in its studio and match commentary. In print, The New York Times has devoted countless column inches and pages each day to cover the action on and off the pitch and it's given its readers a keen, socio-economic perspective to the story of this futebol nation, a sport which has helped define Brazil's place in the world.

It's been a pleasure to see, read and learn the fascinating history of the beautiful game, and to listen to the now-familiar voice of Englishman play-by-play commentator Ian Darke calling all of the important matches on ESPN. Darke, a veteran of the network's 2010 World Cup broadcasts, has a wonderful command of the English language and, sometimes -- OK, always -- he enjoys a lovely flair for the dramatic. Last week, in its soccer blog, The San Francisco Chronicle spun its own version of a classic Aesop fable, "If Ian Darke recounted the tale of the tortoise and the hare", that's worth a good read. Meanwhile, there's still much to be said and written about this year's World Cup, which culminates with the championship match on Sunday, July 13. And, there's the beautiful visuals of the Copacabana Beach in Rio, too.

Like an enjoyable West End theatrical, the 2014 FIFA World Cup has had its share of divas and dives as well as its thrills, spills and pratfalls. Yet, with seven matches remaining to decide this year's World Cup champion nation -- and eight countries still very much in contention -- we all look forward to much drama and excitement ahead in the World Cup's next act.

Photo: Courtesy of Google images. 

Remembering Mabida: He was a universal symbol of tolerance and hope

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." — Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela, 1918-2013.

We were all saddened by the news of the passing of Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president and an icon of peaceful resistance.

Mr. Mandela died at his home in the Johannesburg suburb of Houghton on Thursday night at age 95. News of his death spread quickly around the world through cable news networks like CNN, in social media such as Facebook and via the internet, and in the days since, there's been no shortage or tumult of remembrances. Mr. Mandela has been memorialized as an icon, a radical, a leader and a luminary.

Beloved by all, Mr. Mandela was a universal symbol of tolerance and hope, a man of great heart and compassion. Following his release prison after 27 years of incarceration, Mr. Mandela led South Africa through emancipation from white minority rule and he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

"Mr. Mandela's quest for freedom took him from the court of tribal royalty to the liberation underground to a prison rock quarry to the presidential suite of Africa's richest country," wrote The New York Times. "And then, when his first term of office was up, unlike so many of the successful revolutionaries he regarded as kindred spirits, he declined a second term and cheerfully handed over power to an elected successor, the country still gnawed by crime, poverty, corruption and disease but a democracy, respected in the word and remarkably at peace."

In announcing Mr. Mandela's death to an entire nation, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa said: "Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father. His tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world. His humility, his compassion and his humanity earned him their love." 

Regardless of our race, nationality or country of residence, Mr. Mandela will be remembered by many as the "world's kindly white-haired grandfather." His last public appearance was in 2010, when South Africa hosted football's World Cup.

World leaders across several continents were united in their praise of Mr. Mandela and their tributes were filled with superlatives.

• "A giant among men has passed away. This is as much India's loss as South Africa's." — Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, India.

• "A great light has gone out in the world. Nelson Mandela was a hero of our time." — Prime Minister David Cameron, Britain.

• "All of Canada mourns with the family of Nelson Mandela and the citizens of South Africa. The world has lost one of its great moral leaders." — Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

• "Today we say goodbye to a man who brought hope, a true hero who will continue to inspire us." — Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, Belgium.

Here in the U.S., President Barack Obama reflected on Mr. Mandela's life by praising him as a man of courage and compassion. "Let us pause and give thanks for the fact that Nelson Mandela lived — a man who took history in his hands and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice."

And, former U.S. President Bill Clinton noted that history will remember Mr. Mandela as a champion for human dignity and freedom, for peace and reconciliation. "All of us are living in a better world because of the life Madiba lived. He proved that there is a freedom in forgiving, that a big heart is better than a closed mind, and that life's real victories must be shared."

To have an understanding of Mr. Mandela's religious, spiritual and humanist worldview, one need only look to his 1994 autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, which profiled his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison.

"The story told by Mandela's life is not one of infallible human beings and inevitable triumph. It is the story of a man who was willing to risk his own life for what he believed in, and who worked hard to lead the kind of life that would make the world a better place," said Mr. Obama.

Mr. Mandela was also praised by leaders of the religious community, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who like Mr. Mandela was a Nobel laureate and a towering figure in South Africa's struggle against apartheid. He said that Mr. Mandela "embodied our hopes and dreams, symbolized our enormous potential."

At the Vatican, Pope Francis praised "the steadfast commitment shown by Nelson Mandela in promoting the human dignity of all the nation's citizens."

In San Francisco, the Very Rev. Dr. Jane Shaw, Dean of Grace Cathedral, said that "it is appropriate to take a moment to thank God for his example and the profound influence for peace he life has had. ... We celebrate his life and will continue in his example to fight against institutionalized racism, poverty and inequality."

Praise also came from the streets from fellow South African citizens like Shadrack Motau, who accompanied Mr. Mandela on a tour of his Soweto neighborhood after his release from prison. He told The New York Times: "The man had so much humility. He treated everyone with respect and dignity, from statesmen to children."

By all accounts, Mr. Mandela loved being in the company of children. He spoke often of the importance that education played with shaping the world's youth. "Young people must take it upon themselves to ensure that they receive the highest education possible so that they can represent us well in the future as future leaders."

Those old enough to remember the struggle against apartheid have flocked for days to Mr. Mandela's home to pay tribute to South Africa's departed leader through means of joyful noise. 

"We should, while mourning, also sing at the top of our voices, dance and do whatever we want to do, to celebrate the life of this outstanding revolutionary who kept the spirit of freedom alive and led us to a new society," South African president Zuma said in a statement over the weekend. "As South Africans, we sing when we are happy, and we also sing when we are sad to make ourselves feel better. 

"Let us celebrate Madiba in this way, which we know best," Mr. Zuma added, referring to Mr. Mandela by his widely used clan name. "Let us sing for Madiba."

On Tuesday, in rain-soaked Soweto township, President Obama, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and some of Mandela's grandchildren were among those who spoke during a four-hour memorial service honoring Mr. Mandela, held in the 95,000-capacity FNB Stadium (built for the 2010 World Cup) and attended by more than 100 heads of state and other dignitaries and celebrities. 

"It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well; to show that you must trust others so that they may trust you; to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion and generosity and truth," Mr. Obama said in a stirring eulogy. "He changed laws, but he also changed hearts."

Worth reading for its comprehensive look at the life of Mr. Mandela is the 6,500-word obit which appeared in The New York Times on Friday. It was written by the paper's former executive editor Bill Keller, who in the 1990s was its Johannesburg bureau chief. The obit was eight years in the making and it included comments from a 2007 interview Keller conducted with Mr. Mandela.

Across a wide spectrum, many have shared their thoughts about Mr. Mandela's passing. Here are a few worth sharing:

• The Rev. Al Sharpton shared the sentiment of many, not only in my country but throughout the world, when he commented on MSNBC in the first hour after the announcement of Mr. Mandela's death: "We've lost one of the world's great citizens." 

• Muhammad Ali, generally considered among the greatest heavyweight boxers in the world — a sport which Mr. Mandela participated in his youth — said in a statement: "He taught us forgiveness on a grand scale. His was a spirit born free, destined to soar above the rainbows. Today his spirit is soaring through the heavens. He is now forever free."

• The American poet Maya Angelou, who unveiled a tribute poem to Mr. Mandela, shared her thoughts about his impact on the world with CBS News, saying: "He showed us how liberating it is to forgive."

• CNN's Christiane Amanpour, who is no stranger to reporting about world leaders, put things into perspective when she said: "Nelson Mandela was the towering moral giant of the 20th and 21st centuries. We will not see the likes of Madiba again for a long, long time."

• Finally, Kofi Annan, who is the chair of The Elders and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation and from 1997-2006 served as the secretary-general of the United Nations, wrote in a Financial Times commentary: "Almost 20 years ago, Mandela said South Africa had come as far as it had on the path to peace and democracy only because the world had set his country 'a moral example which we had dared to follow.' As we mourn his passing and honour his memory, the task for leaders and citizens alike is to dare to follow his example — in every corner of Africa and across the world."

Photograph of Nelson Mandela courtesy of Google Images, 2013.