There. I Fixed It.

A blog in two parts.

There are two parts to this.  Part one consists of words verses words and it is a bit incendiary.  Part two is about the power of words and the stories that we choose to believe.  It is a bit less provocative, but then again it’s hard to get the toothpaste back into the tube once one squeezes it onto your brush.

Part I…

So, I came across a political meme that has been making the rounds on social media, yesterday.  That’s really not a hard thing to do these days.  Pick a side and run with it to your hearts content.  There’s something for everyone.  Pick something that fits your world view, your confirmation biases and there you are.  Just try not to get too carried away.  This meme gets a bit carried away with itself.

I decided that I was not going to cut & paste it here as it is presented.  No, that wouldn't be proper, it needs some fixing.  Perhaps it’s part of my own confirmation bias, but I believe the truth should still mean something.  So, instead of just cutting & pasting, I’m simply going to describe it for you, Gentle Reader.  There is a picture of Trump glaring at the camera and pointing a finger.  The words surrounding his precious little head read…

“In reality they’re not after me they’re after you.

I’m just in the way.”

At the very top, above the postcard picture of that man of the people are those words.  Words written by a peeved Proud Boy(s), a Trump cultist(s), a campaign writer(s), or some combination, thereof.  Words specifically designed to strum all the strings of manipulation at once.  Words designed to divide – it is an election, after all, but, regretfully, the last four years have gifted us with nothing but division.  The words used here are marching orders.  Words that say, in no uncertain terms, that Trump is the conduit to a golden future for the United States and if you think differently, you’re simply wrong, you Godless, leftist, Democrat, and you deserve to be crushed. 

I have taken the liberty to address the points raised by this patriotic young lad(s) or lass(es), wherever your pronouns may be.  I wrote in the brackets – emboldened.  Here we go!   

To answer all of those of you who would say “I can't believe you would vote for Trump." Well folks listen up! I'm not just voting for him. I'm voting for the second Amendment (because they’re coming for your guns!  SPOILERS, no – that old chestnut is not true, no one is coming for your guns unless there is a good reason for it). I'm voting for the next supreme court justice (due to me being jaded and chocked full of biases also I don’t like balance), I'm voting for the electoral college (how do I feel about gerrymandering? Hold on, I have to look that up), and the Republic (dystopia) we live in. I'm voting for the Police (the good ones, the ones who kill people that are not the same color as I am, or the stormtroopers who make people disappear?  There are so many to choose from these days!), and law and order (I do not like protesters and my second amendment rights are more important than their first amendment ones). I'm voting for the military (you mean the estimated U.S. military spending is $934 billion*. It covers the period October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021?), and the veterans (who are having problems getting their medications through the mail since Mango Mussolini tried to kill the United States Post Office) who fought for and died for this Country. I'm voting for the Flag that is always missing from the Democratic background (another contrived lie; also, I’m beginning to think you don’t like Democrats). I'm voting for the right to speak my opinion and not be censored (Come now, you have never had a problem voicing your opinion – whether it’s not wanting to wear a mask during a global pandemic or just the casual refusal of science, voicing your opinion is not one of your problems.  But, hey, if you could lay off the conspiracy theories, though? it would be appreciated). I’m voting for secure borders (and against Mexicans because they don’t look like me – any other people who also do not look like me). I’m voting for the right to praise my God without fear (Come now, let’s not be coy, you praise your God without fear already. As an American your idea of religious persecution pales in comparison to the real thing.  But, God - which one are you referring to?  Hard to say – there are so many.  Playing the odds, 74% of the U.S. claim Christianity. Out of curiosity, if you claim to be a follower of Christ, which title do you prefer, Capitalist or Christian? Asking for a friend). I’m voting for every unborn soul the Democrats want to murder (this, too, is a lie). I’m voting for freedom and the American Dream (as long as it is for people who think and look like I do). I’m voting for good and against evil (No, you’re really not & horribly, horribly mistaken in this case). I'm not just voting for one person, I'm voting for the future of my Country! (Trump gave you a voice. You’ve kept so many things bottled up inside of you; poor dear.  But it’s different now - now it can be your boot on the throat of those you think are your enemies. Your taking your country back!  You’ll show ‘em all, won’t you, Sport?)

What are you voting for?!?! (I am voting to cancel yours. That’s a true story, right there).

In God we Trust; One Nation Under God (added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, BTW)

Copy and paste. I did. (Of this, I have no doubt. There is no way you came up with this. It must fit your assumed world view.  Fortunately for you, there are hosts of people out there – the Alt Right, Nazis, KKK members, run of the mill Karens oblivious to their own white privilege, etc. – who will give you all the opinions you should have and, after all, “It has always been easier to have an opinion than it is to think”, hasn't it?  Yes, it has.)

There – Fixed!

It could be fixed better, but it holds water – depending on the intentions of the words. 

Look, I get it.  It is an election year, that’s one of the reasons it’s so slanted.  The fact is, neither of us - the author(s) of this meme or I, are going to be changing our minds on the topic of Donald Trump.  I can't speak for you, author(s), I can only speak for myself, and I can honestly say that if you identify as a republican or a democrat, that I'm fine with that.  It's the way it is here in these United States.  Third, fourth, or fifth parties are swallowed by the political machine so, effectively, we have a two-party system – republicans and democrats and, leaving the extremists out of the conversation for a moment, we can find common ground.  I can work with either.  But if you identify specifically as a Trump supporter, flags start to go up for me.  Just being honest.  Not that I write you off completely, that’s not the case, but it tells me a lot about what you, your priorities, and the stories you believe.  Perhaps I’m mistaken.  It has happened on occasion, so I am not blindly casting my nets out into the waters and saying, “All Trump supporters are wrong.”  No, I'm not doing that.  But, with God as my witness, you are suspect. 

You have earned it. 

I have my own reasons for this. 

You wouldn’t care about them if I told you.  But, I have my reasons.

You can shout, “God bless, Donald Trump,” all you want, but try to understand, when you do so, I have deep and serious misgivings as to whether you know either party.

But, hey, that’s my confirmation bias.

I have said this before and I can still say firmly, and without a shadow of doubt, it does not matter what side of the aisle you find yourself sitting on politically – we all lost on Election Day 2016.  All of us.  He found a way to unite us at last and right there at the very beginning. 

We all lost.

SPOILERS, this precludes Donald Trump…

 

And now, for Part II…

“All I suggest is a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest…” Simon & Garfunkel, The Boxer

Part II…

Words mean things.  That shouldn’t be a revelation.  The old adage about ‘sticks and stones’ is a lie.  Words can hurt you, and in the wrong hands and they can be deadly.  Language, written language especially, is a funny thing.  Words come together – a noun here, a verb there, and, before you know it, there’s a sentence.  Those sentences become paragraphs.  Those paragraphs become chapters.  Stories are saved and told and repeated and those stories – the ones that are accepted and believed, hold everything together.  Is the story true or is it something else?  Words and their resulting stories can unite, uplift, and inspire.  The opposite is true, as well.  Words can build up or they can destroy.  Therefore, critical readers – critical thinkers, are essential.  As a society, we need to be able to sift words through the filter of the truth.  It has always been important to chose the stories we hold closest to our hearts, wisely.  

Unfortunately, we focus more on the story and, more often then not, lose focus on the words that are used to tell it.  Case in point.  I could tell you that I believe in the 2^nd amendment but that I wouldn’t mind mental health background checks before you are able to get one.  You may say to yourself, “Well, that’s not so bad.” Or you could say, “That is an infringement on the right to bear arms”.  Or you could ignore the words altogether and go right for the story, “They’re coming to take your guns!”  In two out of three of these options there is room for discussion – for give and take, room for, dare I say, compromise.  In the other tale, the story that the gun lobby has woven is the only thing you need to know, there is no room for debate or for thought.  There is no rhyme or reason, it’s an opinion gone wild.  Discussion or compromise?  Sorry, there's no room.  That’s how you get people who deny things like Sandy Hook – they believe the story that the NRA has seeded and some twisted souls mutate it to fit their own sick narrative.  Lobbyists tell such great stories and their pockets are full so they can pay off as many politicians they can.  That is corrupt and disgusting but it is the way of American politics.  It will collapse due to internal rot one day, but for now, it’s business as usual in Washington, DC.  This is why there is never discussion about reasonable gun laws.  And there never will be.  People go immediately into DEFCON 2 in defense of this story – the one where they are the lone patriot and the government is coming to disarm them.  It’s really not going to happen, but the true believers don’t hear that.  They can’t.  There are too many defense perimeters to plan for, too many ammo caches to stock up on.  “Molon Labe,” baby!  Compromise and reason do not fit into their narrative.  They don’t fit into the story they believe about themselves, because – after all, it is all about them and compromise is for the weak.  Never mind that here in the United States there have been at least 2,654 mass shootings since Sandy Hook, with at least 2,908 killed and 11,088 wounded**.  When new facts are presented the story must adapt.  At Sandy Hook Elementary School 26 people were slaughtered, 20 children, six adults, and the shooter who took his own life.  That doesn’t fit the overall narrative from the NRA, so the story must evolve – “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”  The story feeds itself.  There is no room for reason or rhyme, no discussion, no compromise.  Nothing happens.  The story is a fantasy spun by a lobby group that speaks to the internal narrative of some heavily armed civilians who have their guns oiled, magazines full, with one in the chamber.  Who knows, in the next chapter, maybe a few of them will get to shoot some, "bad guys" and all those fantasies can become a reality.  

So, is the government coming for your guns?  No.

Will there be any meaningful discussion about practical gun laws?  No.

Will anything change concerning this issue in the United States?  No. 

There will be no change with gun laws until people start caring about the lives of other people and, let’s face it, if we didn’t do anything after Sandy Hook, we are not going to do anything.  We have listened to the wrong stories for too long.  There is too much money to be made.  Our fantasies that fuel our personal narratives were more important than the lives of those school children, their teachers, and the lives of all who have fallen since that dark day in December, 2014.   

What we believe – our stories, can be dangerous things.  How many people have died because of an ongoing narrative or narratives through the years?  People die for stories every day, let alone in the sweeping epics of the history of mankind.  Even before the discovery of gun powder.  History has devoured their bodies and all we are left with are the survivor’s stories.  As for what we believe – the stories we hold dearest, we latch onto the ones that appeal to our vanities or our hopes, and we take them with us as far as they'll go.  As I said in Part I, opinions are much easier to have then thoughts.  Opinions are preconceived and accepted.  A data-set, so to speak.  The idea is that the individual no longer has to think about any given data-set because it has worked for them in the past and it is presumed that it will work for them in the future.  Right up to the point it doesn’t.  Right up to the point where new data becomes undeniable and it is there that two things will happen – the narrative will evolve or it will be abandoned for a different story altogether.  Perhaps it is a tale that fits best with what the believer once held as gospel truth.  Perhaps not.

I took the first point from the manipulative political meme introduced in part one and examined it a little closer.  I could have kept going down the list of unscrupulous presumptions found in the meme, but to what end?  The meme is pure biased opinion that is the narrative it serves.  It is supposed to not only preach to the choir but also to let the people sitting in the back pew of the church know where the speaker stands.  It's a rallying cry for those who prefer to have opinions rather than thoughts.  The meme deliberately attaches itself to a host of other stories that fit the personal narrative of about 40% of the population of these United States.  We can’t ignore the words and just accept the stories we are being told any longer.  We must challenge ourselves to find the truth behind the stories that we have been told and the ones we choose to believe.  The truth should mean something, the same is true for words, and for people’s lives. 

So, here’s to the truth, Gentle Reader.  Find yourself a good story, one you can believe in - one that is worthy of your faith.  There is an abundance of false prophets and ravenous wolves running around these days, right here and right now in these United States.  Learn to spot them and turn them away.  Stand in the truth and move forward from there.   

Until next time, stay safe, wear a mask, and wash your hands.

Peace.

 

*Source: https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-military-budget-components-challenges-growth-3306320

**Source: https://www.vox.com/a/mass-shootings-america-sandy-hook-gun-violence

 

 

Domestic Kidnappings and What Can Be Done About Them

These are strange and dangerous days here in the United States.  Strange happenings that, if you are paying attention, should send chills down your spine.  On top of social injustice, people confusing public health with personal freedom, and economic woes – there are now federally authorized kidnappings happening right now within the United States.   

Business Insider, reported this week, “A former Border Patrol agent describes the special federal unit deployed in Portland as one of 'the most violent and racist in all law enforcement'”  The article by Oma Seddiq, can be found right here: https://www.businessinsider.com/former-border-patrol-agent-describes-unit-portland-violent-and-racist-2020-7.  Jenn Budd is the former Border Patrol agent.  She describes the Bortac (Border Patrol Tactical Unit) as, “elite federal unit deployed by the Trump administration to quell protests in Portland, Oregon, as one of the "the most violent and racist in all law enforcement."”  She goes on to describe them further, "They don't exist within the realm of civilian law enforcement. They view people they encounter in the military sense as enemy combatants, meaning they have virtually no rights."

The trick is, these are American citizens and not enemy combatants, meaning they have rights.  Trump has authorized this ‘elite federal unit’ on the citizenry of Portland, Oregon and on these United States. 

“But these are lawless protesters!”, you may have grown fond of typing or screaming. 

One could just as well say that these are citizens who are using their First Amendment rights to assemble and petition the government for change – in this case, the Black Lives Matter movement.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying rioting is a right, but I am saying that peaceful protest is.  But, as Juvenal the Roman poet said, “Who will guard the guards themselves?”  It can be hard to hold those in power accountable.  These are soldiers who have been used as muscle to threaten, intimidate, and kidnap American citizens.  Stomping over the First Amendment betrays the oath that they took in becoming soldiers in the first place – remember, that oath to defend the Constitution?  These presidentially authorized kidnappings and federally authorized terrorist actions, are by definition and scope, completely un-American. 

It is disconcerting.  Here in the United States, if you exercise your right to peaceful protest, you can get carted off by a goon-squad that is all too happy to be abusing their power.  The oppression is real, and it is here.  It is the natural progression of tyranny.  Trying to control and manipulate the news, trying to block publications, making people disappear to silence them – these are all hallmarks of a totalitarian regime.  It is only a matter of time before things get worse.  Perhaps when they get to the writers and the bloggers, you’ll see people like me disappear too?  There is historical precedence.   

Disturbing, to say the least.  The brutality of despotism here in the United States is something that keeps me awake at night.  Mainly due to the fact that for my entire life as an American citizen – 51 years, mind you, I have been taught to believe otherwise.  We all were.  Brutality, authoritarianism, tyranny were things that we fought and not practiced or stood up for.  It is a hopeless situation we find ourselves in.  But then I remember, Charlie Chaplin and his final speech from the 1940 film, “The Great Dictator”, and again, I have hope.  You can see that speech here: https://www.charliechaplin.com/en/films/7-The-Great-Dictator/articles/29-The-Final-Speech-from-The-Great-Dictator- and here... 

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone - if possible - Jew, Gentile - black man - white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness - not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost….

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men - cries out for universal brotherhood - for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world - millions of despairing men, women, and little children - victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.

To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish. …..

Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to think and what to feel! Who drill you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!

In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” - not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power - the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

Then - in the name of democracy - let us use that power - let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world - a decent world that will give men a chance to work - that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfil that promise. They never will!

Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world - to do away with national barriers - to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us all unite!

Thank you, Mr. Chaplin.

Hope in a bottle, the vintage label reads 1940.  I read this speech and, once more, I have hope.  Hope that we can rise above the quagmire that the last four years have brought us.  Hope that, one day, we remember the people we are supposed to be.  Hope that there is a future for the United States of America and that we won’t collapse from the decay of corruption, greed, & lust for power.  The coronavirus exposed our weaknesses.  The social and economic fault lines are exposed and it is time to fix them – the injustice woven through our society, the lack of healthcare so people remain exploited, the willful ignorance where we haughtily reject expert opinions for YouTube videos or for people who have degrees from the “University of Facebook”.  It is time recognize our problems, address them, and move into the future – a decent and good future for all.   

Chaplin’s words hail from 1940 but they are more relevant today than he ever envisioned.  There is an important election coming up here in the United States.  Read this speech before you vote.  Watch it again before you cast your ballot.  This next election is for the soul of our nation.  Register to vote, if you have not, especially, if you haven’t voted before.  The Millennial generation and the marginalized could shift the balance of power and they should for a variety of reasons, but let’s just stick with the most obvious one – this is YOUR country, it is time to put someone in office who represents you and not their own polluted interests.

Read the speech again.  And again.  Allow it to sink in. 

Read it and hope.

“Don’t give yourselves to brutes.” 

Read it and #VOTE.

 

 

 

Final speech from The Great Dictator Copyright © Roy Export S.A.S. All rights reserved

So, There Was This Video...

So, there was this video that surfaced early this past weekend.  It was appalling and it incensed a nation.  Why wouldn’t it?  What was presented in the video was an affront to decency – here we were again, a group of MAGA hat wearing kids tormenting a Native American elder trying to bring a bit of peace to what was an escalating situation between the MAGA kids and some African American group that had been reported as being there as well.  That is what was being sold in the video.  That’s what I reacted to.  “Camera’s don’t lie”, right?  I saw the original video but chose not to push that one forward on my Twitter feed.  Instead I found the epilogue video of Mr. Phillips, the tribal elder, he was in tears saying that he wanted to help defuse the situation.  It was this that I saw and it was this that I tweeted about…

And the Tweet had legs – it was retweeted and, as Twitter does, shared and liked to thousands of other possible users.  The video struck a chord.  Real people are sick and tired of the entitlement and hatred that permeates our nation.  By liking or retweeting the post there is a sense of like-mindedness a sense of “there are still people out there who give a damn that when something is wrong it can be righted.”  ALAS, aye’s the barb.  The dirty trick is that the original viral video was a half-truth.  A half-truth that launched an explosion on social media that we are still feeling the aftershocks from.  For the record, a half-truth is still a lie.  When you lie to support your premise, you cannot claim to have the high ground.  A lot of reactions were generated by this video and it gave cause for a lot of people, myself included, to react and, apparently, to act too quickly. 

To the Covington School, I apologize.  You should not have to shoulder the full brunt of this situation.  In the end we are marked by our deeds and not necessarily our words.  Actions do, in fact, speak louder.  You were waiting on a bus, bad things happened, and they escalated.  The internet took it from there.  I reacted to the information that I had.  This is not a complete, ‘free pass’, the chanting and the ‘tomahawk chops’ that some of you were doing lacked class but you don’t deserve the scrutiny that you have been receiving.  Truth be told, which is something I am extremely fond of, if MAGA hats weren’t involved this never would have made the news. 

“So, who was this third group?”

The third group were the “Black Hebrew Israelites”.  A nearly two-hour video surfaced on Sunday – after the internet blew up concerning the initial video was released.  It showed that the Black Hebrew Israelites were shouting slurs at both the Native Americans and the Covington School group.  The Covington School group started a school chant to drown out the racially charged attacks.  Mr. Phillips saw it as a sign of escalation and, in his way, attempted to deescalate the situation.  There.  That’s about as close to the truth of what happened that anyone sitting at their computer who was not there at the event can glean.  Mr. Philip DeFranco did an excellent piece on the situation.  Apparently, I am in very good company in acting too fast…

"What Really Happened w/ the Nathan Phillips"MAGA Kids" Controversy & The Mexican Pipeline?"

“So, where did the original video come from?”

@2020Fight, was the source of the initial video.  They have been identified and Twitter has shut down their account for spreading false information.  From the link below…  “The Twitter account that helped spread the initial video has been removed. The user -- @2020Fight -- claimed to be a teacher and advocate named Talia from California with a photo appearing to show Brazilian model and actress Natalia Cardoso. In a statement, a Twitter spokesperson said "deliberate attempts to manipulate the public conversation on Twitter by using misleading account information is a violation of the Twitter rules."”  One can no longer claim the high ground once such tactics are used.  Never give away the high ground to those who do not deserve it.  As the old saying goes, “If you lie down with dogs, you will get fleas.”  @2020Fight crossed a line, for whatever reason and, unfortunately, he/she took thousands of people along with them – me included.  Twitter responded appropriately.  Here is a CBS news segment identifying the perp or perpetrators…

“Twitter takes down account that helped spread Lincoln Memorial Confrontation Video”

Please, do me the favor of watching this video (I believe it’s still up).  In it is something I have never seen before.  Something that has affected me more and more each time I see it.  There is a man, possibly a school representative, talking to one of the Native American protestors who have set up outside of the Covington School.  He is wearing a MAGA hat and, instead of screaming at the protester he is talking to him.  In fact, he “suggested they sit down and share a cup of coffee or a meal.” 

This is important.  At least it should be.  Yes, this is important.  You see, ever since the MAGA hat was invented I have never seen anyone attached to one talk to anyone who is opposed to their line of thinking, let alone an offer to share a meal or a cup of coffee.  No, for me the hat has always been associated with screaming, yelling, Kool-Aid drinking, hatred, and rage.  That is all that I have ever seen from MAGA.  Ever. 

Here's the mind blower.  The converse is also true.  I can show you MAGA who feel the exact same way that I do about them.  “The Trump hating crowd does nothing but scream, yell, bleat like sheep, hate, and rage.”  As it turns out, we are more alike than we think we are.  For the record, I don’t see anything that resembles either extreme in the above picture.  I see two men trying to come to some sort of resolution and this – THIS, is what has to happen on a national scale. 

There is a massive miscommunication happening right now and the only way to fix it – the only way, is to communicate.  Yes, I too have been polarized.  These are polarizing times.  But we need to look beyond that.  Sure, this man could be doing it for the cameras, but I don’t think that’s the case.  The camera’s happened to be there.  I believe that this was probably the case for Mr. Phillips, as well.  Both this MAGA hat wearing fellow and the elder, Mr. Phillips were trying to deescalate a situation.  What jarred me is the fact that my assumptions of this fellow in the hat are the same assumptions that, more often than not, leveled against me for being a, “Trump troll” or “Hater”.  Facts are scarce things these days, but the fact of the matter is I’m a centralist with the occasional left leaning tendency.  I’m slightly left of middle on the bell curve.  The lunatic fringe – the extremes of either side have always made me squirm.  They will always be there, but I don’t think I’m alone.  I bet I share that belief of being more, ‘middle of the road’, with people who claim allegiance to the right and to the left.  I don’t believe that our country is only made up of two extremes – us & them.  But the only way to test that theory is to talk and to listen.

So, could this be a watershed moment?  Wouldn’t that be something?  The fact of the matter is we need to talk.  We need to communicate.  Perhaps, “Let’s sit down and have a cup of coffee or buy a meal and let’s just figure this out,” is the sage advice that we need right now as citizens of these United States.  I believe that this gentleman, this MAGA hat wearing gentleman, is correct.  That is a sentence I have never typed before.  We must talk to each other – we are the WE, in We The People.  We need to start acting like it. 

So, what say we grab a cup of coffee?

We have much to discuss. 

Brave, New World

Fresh after the events of Charlottesville, VA I shared a video from Arnold Schwarzenegger on Facebook with an anti-hate message.  You can see that right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN_YIBr0ELM.  I thought that Arnold’s message was pretty on point and important enough to share in my feed.  I thought to myself, ‘Hey, this one’s a no brainer, who could possibly be upset at this idea?’  A Nazi just killed a woman and injured dozens of others by driving his car through a group of protestors on American soil.  I found this to be pretty self-evident – the concept that the Nazis and the KKK were on the wrong side of history.  Facebook, however, had other plans…

One person said, “He’s telling Trump how to write a speech, I didn’t hear him include Black Lives Matter, Antifa, or any other ‘left’ hate group. Shut-up Arnold, go lift some weights.” Another said something about, “The liberal agenda knows to destroy America…” A third defended the torch bearers by saying, “So you are saying that all of the people protesting the removal of the statue are white supremacists and Nazis?  His [Trump’s] point was that not all of the protesters that didn’t want the statue removed are bad, not that the white supremacists are not bad.”  Other points were made but I believe that, you – most Gentle Reader, get the gist.    

I responded...

No. I’m a realist, not an extremist.  I’m a big fan of the Rule of Law. I’m not a fan of the Nazi agenda, the white supremacy Alt-Right agenda, or any other agenda that sacrifices reason at the expense of the American people.  But, getting back to statues, I am a big believer in thinking about what we choose to worship.  Pedestals are dangerous things.  We should be mindful of what we put on them.  Frankly, Indiana Jones was right, some things “Belong in a museum”. 

I too am a big fan of the democratic process.  I am not a fan of Nazis driving cars into protestors.  Bottom line.  Such terror smacks everything that we stand for – or at least it did at one time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II.  Here’s to hoping that this is still the case.  That we, as Americans, can pull together and work together in realization & recognition of the scars of our past and step boldly into the future; where we should find our hope.

Contrary to most empirical information I can collect these days, I still believe that America’s best days are ahead.  …I hope I’m not alone.

They heard an entirely different message from Arnold than I did.  I must believe that they are apologists for Mr. Trump and not Nazi sympathizers, KKK members, or some other cancerous Alt-Right hate mongers.  I don’t believe that – but, before you scream “There are good people on both sides of this issue,” I gotta tell ya, historically, the Nazis and the KKK are on the wrong side of history.  Consistently.  That’s the “Say what you will about Hitler but at least the trains ran on time,” argument and it does not hold up.  “Heritage not hate!” I hear, as well; this is usually accompanied by, “Lefties want to erase history!”

Erase history? No, on the contrary, History is vital.  We must learn from the past but it is imperative that we learn the right lessons from it.  Lessons that appeal to, as Abraham Lincoln said, “the better angels of our nature”.  One cannot erase history by destroying a statue just like one can’t kill an idea by burning a book.  But if hate is put on a pedestal then we have the moral obligation to explain to the generations that follow us why it is wrong.  The lessons that the modern Nazis and KKK learned from the history and the lessons that others have drawn from it are vastly different in scope, and moral credibility. 

 Do you want Nazis?  Because that’s how you get Nazis.

Senator John McCain recently wrote an op-ed piece for the Washington Post on.  He opens the article by saying, “Americans recoiled from the repugnant spectacle of white supremacists marching in Charlottesville to promote their un-American “blood and soil” ideology. There is nothing in their hate-driven racism that can match the strength of a nation conceived in liberty and comprising 323 million souls of different origins and opinions who are equal under the law.”  (see: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/john-mccain-its-time-congress-returns-to-regular-order/2017/08/31/f62a3e0c-8cfb-11e7-8df5-c2e5cf46c1e2_story.html?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.c08f54c61629). Yes, he’s right. I am thankful that there are still leaders who will say it. 

It is an odd time in our country right now.  We forget to talk to each other.  We must remember as citizens not only speak but also to listen.  Of course, we are not always going to agree but we must think for ourselves – make our points, compromise, and move forward.  Bipartisanship is not the evil it has been made out to be.  We must acknowledge and learn from the past so that we can step together into the future – a future where there is no room for hate.  As Americans, we owe this not only to our posterity but to the world.

Thank you, Mr. Schwarzenegger, for this reminder that should not be so complicated of hard to see.  

Give us Barabbas!

(Part II in a III Part series) 

I have heard some say, “Where were all the marchers on Election Day?”

To that I would have to say the same place the majority of Americans were – disenfranchised and believing that their vote really did not matter; believing that the dust would settle and we could all go back to our lives once the machines o either party fizzled out after Election Day was over.  After all, it had always been that way.  America could pick up and move on.  That’s the way a representative republic works.  The trouble with this is that there has never been an election cycle like the one experienced in 2016.  How did we get here?  Well, let’s simply say it was unprecedented. 

The machine on the left failed itself and the nation for the treasonous act of continuing business as usual.  Their machine was running just fine and there was certainly no need for change.  No, Hillary was going to be their candidate and the DNC made certain that Bernie Sanders popularity and grass roots movement were suppressed.  They anointed Hillary.  She wasn’t an outsider – she was part of the machine and the machine on the left worked quite well, thank you very much.

Bernie Sanders was betrayed.  He was the only candidate on either side who could honestly make the claim that he was for the people.  He was and is, I might add, the only one of the big voices who could say that he was in touch with the common, every day, working American.  Hillary couldn’t say it and it is ridiculous to even postulate that Trump has ever been for the common man.  It should have been Bernie.  Bernie was an outsider that the machine on the left was not comfortable with and so he was suppressed.  Big time.  It took WikiLeaks and it’s hacked emails to break the story but there it was, the truth behind the transgression.  The Washington Post had good coverage of the events.  As a result, then President Obama called the Democratic National Convention’s leading Chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and asked her to resign.  She did but the damage was done.  Hillary was anointed and the blame for what happened in the election can squarely be lain right here.  Hillary had been part of the machine for the last 30 years, give or take – she was an insider.  The same machine that people had grown tired of.  One that was oiled by PACs, special interest groups, and lobbyists.  For this contravention, this treacherous act, The DNC can be called as to being the reason why we now say, President Trump instead of President Sanders.  The reality of the situation, as it stands, Donald Trump is the President Elect.  They didn’t simply let down Mr. Sanders, they let down the nation.  People’s faith in the entire system was now suspect – more now than it ever had been.  

But what of the machine on the right?  This machine had similar problems.  Things that had always worked were showing strain.  As the potential candidates assembled – a field strewn with the typical schmendricks that had always rallied to the political “pick me – pick me”, baby kissing, ilk.  As they gathered they ignored the very same thing that their left leaning counterparts did – the outsider.  They were simply not prepared for the ‘reality TV’, circus who was/is Donald Trump.  He said and did things that none of the other candidates would ever dream of saying or doing.  “Such behavior would never win an election!”  Trump’s audacity made people take notice; more to point, it made a lot of disenfranchised white people take notice.  Trump, who was now considered and outsider of the GOP, played on their fears and weaknesses.  During the election cycle Trump went from one sound bite to another; “I just grab ‘em by the pussy”, concerning women that he’d like to bed, in relation to protesters at his rallies he pined for the “old days” when people like that would be beaten up – effectively encouraging his followers to crank up the violence, he made light of a disabled reporter, he talked of banning Mexicans & Muslims, and during his campaign he said, “I could shoot somebody in the middle of the street and they (his followers) wouldn’t care.”  He was right.  Trump had tapped into an undercurrent of resentment that was closer to festering than a lot of people realized – including the GOP.  Referring to his cabinet if he were to become President, “I would hire the BEST people.”  Who they were did not matter.  During one of the nationally televised debates and referring to his taxes that he has NEVER revealed he admitted that he did not pay his taxes saying, “It was smart,” not doing so.  And it didn’t matter.  Discarded were questions about his character or his mental fitness – after all this reality TV star is going to make America great again.  Trump the outsider was now the GOPs candidate.  He courted the ‘religious right’ and a very large number of them supported him since he has become a “new Christian”.  The Christian faith is built upon Christ changing the lives of the people who accept and believe in him; then, those people move forward, being others driven, working towards being more Christ-like examples to bring others to the Lord and light to the world.  That’s a thumbnail sketch.  Redemption & change.  I provide it because there are those who claim the name of ‘Christ’ and, much like an alternative fact, are not acquainted with him at all. Matthew 7: 15-20 says...

 ¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Trump’s example did not matter.  His deeds meant nothing.  The evangelicals did not care for fruit, they only wanted to win and shape policy in their own image.  They ignored seeking the fruit in the life of their candidate and put off producing it in theirs.  Moral character no longer mattered to them.  They were too concerned with Trump’s kingdom and not so much with God’s.  False prophets are on all sides of this, left & right, and, historically, politicians use the ‘flock’ for their own means on a routine basis.  It is a given.  So, is Trump a Christian?  The only person who can truly answer that is Trump – that’s between him and God.  The evangelical right said he was.  Trump didn’t disagree.  The evangelicals did not care about any of the empirical data or his history – all of the things that clearly should have raised some flags or mattered did not.  They shouted, "Give us Barabbas!" and that is exactly what they got.  Pharisees.  This, too, gobsmacked the GOP.  As other candidates continued to fall they didn’t know whether to distance themselves from the Trump brand or to throw their arms around him.  They chose the latter. 

So the machine on the right retooled before the big showdown in November and it beat the machine from the left.  Trump won the Electoral College while Hillary won the popular vote.  Donald Trump is now the President of the United States.  This is how we got here.  The American people chose between two horrible choices and it will be up to history to decide just how horrible things will get.  If the first few weeks are any indication then the adage is more than true, we live in interesting times.  Here is a quick rundown of what has happened thus far and, please note, we are three weeks into the 45^th Presidency. 

The GOP, who now run both the House and the Senate, voted to disband the Office on Ethics (hey, who need those?), they have started to deconstruct the Affordable Care Act, and – with a few pen strokes from the President, will make healthcare for about 15 million people disappear.  These are real human beings, right here in America, who will not be able to afford surgeries, therapies, or their chemotherapy meds.  People will be effected.  People will die.  Certain sites have disappeared from the White House website such as climate change, homosexual rights, and the entire “Spanish Language” section.  There was Trump’s inaugural speech where he underlined his “America first” ideology and, as a bonus, insulted each of the other living presidents.  Sean Spicer, the President’s press secretary attacked journalists during his first outing in the role and picked an unnecessary fight with the National Parks Service over the amount of people in attendance at Trump’s inauguration.  Trump is upset that the numbers at his inauguration are not as high as were at President Obama’s.  He is in denial of this and has taken great pains to say that his was much better.  The next day, the President’s counselor, Kellyanne Conway, on a news show claimed that Spicer did not misrepresent the numbers and that he was only presenting, “alternative facts”.  Note: Alternative facts are also called lies.  The next day Conway mentions Trump’s taxes that he has still not released saying, “If they (the people) cared they wouldn’t have voted for him.”  Trump forbids the EPA from sharing any information with the public or press concerning any scientific research on climate change.  The Department of Agriculture is silenced too.  We the people, however, have PAID for this research with our tax dollars.  This will certainly be reviewed once the system of checks and balances start to push back against Donald.  Trump signed the paperwork to start building the wall between Mexico and America.  He is still in full confidence that the Mexicans are going to pay for it.  He wants to bring back torture.  He believes that, “it works”.  His top military advisors are against this because they remember the Geneva Convention.  It is hoped that it will be explained to Donald shortly.  He wants to open more “Black Site” prisons offshore so people deemed to need them can disappear.  Stocks for concrete and private prison companies are up because of the wall for the potential need for more black site prisons to oppress others.  The President of Mexico cancels a meeting with Trump saying that Mexico is not going to pay for the wall.  Trump is upset.  He renews pressure on the National Parks Service to find proof of the inaugural crowds.  Meanwhile, sales of Orwell’s, “1984” have put it onto the NY Times Bestsellers list again.  CNN is a “Fake News” site as per the Whitehouse.  Trump placed a ban on Muslim majority countries from entering the United States for 90 days.  The only countries exempt from this ban are countries that Donald Trump does personal business with.  Let me repeat that, the only countries exempt from this ban are countries that Donald Trump does personal business with.  People who have green cards have been turned back at airports.  A green card is how workers and students are able to be fast tracked to become legal United States citizens.  Up until very recently, America was the ‘Great American melting pot’, the “land of opportunity.”  A Federal Judge put an end to this ban which caused Trump to stop and ask his cabinet, “What are checks and balances?”  And then there is the Dakota Access Pipeline, which Trump financially benefits from is back on which will drive the oil pipeline through Native American lands and tunnel underneath the Missouri River near Standing Rock – but, seriously, what’s more American that pushing native people off their own land? * 

...It hasn’t been a month yet.

  

One thing is becoming clearer and clearer, it does not matter if you were on the left or leaning to the right – this past election we all lost.  In the first part of this series we admitted that we have a problem and we discussed the concept that freedom of speech must apply to everyone.  Here, in Part II, we discussed how we arrived at this time in history and where we are at present.  In Part III, coming soon, we will discuss the future – what may come to pass and what may not.   

 "May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather."

* NOTE: For the sake of accuracy, the pipeline runs through disputed Sioux Territory.  Lands promised to them by the U.S. Government in the treaty of Fort Laramie in 1851.  These lands were taken away.  Who’s lands are they?  It depends on who you ask or who draws the maps.  The pipeline is buried underneath Lake Oahe and the Missouri River is the primary outflow of the lake.  The Missouri River is the primary source of drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.  They have a right to be concerned.  The citizens of Bismarck were too.  The pipeline was moved for them.  It was not moved for the Sioux.  The pipeline itself is almost completed.  Here’s hopin’ that pipes never burst.

 

See you next time, Gentle Reader.