QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

     All of us are familiar with questions, the ones the little ones ask, the ones that are asked and hopefully answered in the classroom, the ones we ask each other and the ones we ask ourselves. Even Socrates asked questions. What is just as problematic for some as troublesome questions, though, are the answers that must be given and the truths held within - or the lies running through them  evident to all. What do we do with these problematic questions and answers? We hopefully have the courage and the honesty to ask and answer as they should be but that seems to be lacking at this point.
    How did we, the greatest country in the world, ever get to this position, wherein we have a president elect whom very few want as president - even those who voted for him? How do we get outta this mess  or is it even possible and if not, then what the hell do we do for the next four years - if we survive them? Lord in Heaven, I have no ideas for that. I am just as stumped as everyone else, all trying for desperate answers to these desperate questions.
     We now have  a government of Fat Cats, of critters from the Black Lagoon, exactly the opposite of what the man promised his voters. We have an administration to be of those who are foxes now to run free in the henhouses and not only eat the chicks but destroy the whole henhouse down to the last board and nail. We have a proposed Secretary of State who has taken numerous actions opposed to governmental positions in his prior job and as for those who voted for Trump because he would be closer and warmer to Israel - told ya so!! This Tillerson is NOT a friend to Israel. But you got what you wished for and now you can rue it all for the next four disastrous years!
     The world is going off track and we have to ask where do we come in, how much blame does the new president to be deserve. A whole lot. He has empowered the extreme right wingers, the nut jobs, the dangerous haters, so much so that for example, Poland's right wing government is banning most public meetings and gatherings - unless of course they are under their protection. So how long do you think it would take for a Trump regime to do the same? Not long, I tell you and then what? Will we behave as sheep and go along with further loss of our rights, with further rending of the Constitution?
 We have just had the most hijacked election ever here in the USA. Down to the congressional races and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and up to the top race - all were hacked - openly and viciously. So are we not a satellite state of Russia who seems to have determined the outcomes of these races? And if that is so, then why and how do we allow these results to stand and yet, how do we change this without causing chaos and civil unrest and even war? I do not know, but the answers are above my pay grade - I just ask the questions!
     We do have people of courage though and we need to follow them and refuse to do wrong. Energy Department people are refusing to answer a questionnaire about their climate change activities. Tech employees at Google, Facebook, and elsewhere are not going to work on a registry of Moslems, all or from certain countries or wherever and whatever. My blood runs cold at the thought of another registry. Jews should fight this tooth and nail as should any decent person. Hate and prejudice and actions relevant to them only proliferate and spread from one group to another. There are no boundaries in hate. Advertisers like Kellogg are pulling away from sites and products associated with hate and bravo for them. Support them. Buy them.
     And how are we supposed to respect and honor a president who appears to be lacking several sections of a working brain. Read these sentences and tell me how one is supposed to rely on him, he who does not have any attention span, refuses to listen to intelligence briefings because, he says, he is "smart and does not need them on a daily basis" so how will he fill that time ? With working on his business dealings contrary to all that we hold dear as he uses the country to further his profits?
     "We’re going to win so much, you’re going to Paul Ryan and you’re going to go, ‘Mr. Speaker, please. Please. We can’t stand winning this much. We can't take it.And he’s going to come to see me and he’s going to go, ‘Mr. President, the people in Wisconsin are tired off winning so much.’" And it continues from there. This is a mature leader? This is a leader? At all?
     Questions have been asked throughout time and answers have been demanded. When enough asked how can people be chattel, we fought a war. When people asked how can we oppress people because they are of color or are women or are from other countries - we had civil rights movements and we continue to have them. When enough people asked how did we allow this slaughter of millions of Jews to go on without us saying boo, we have Holocaust education. Where anti Semitism rears its ugly head once more, we have those who fight against it. When a rap artist, if one can call him that, rants of "dirty Jewish execs" he is forced out. And when men continue to molest and abuse women, they are now called out on it, be they president elect or movie star or business exec.
     And questions can be local as well. How can David Israel continue to carry on his illegal broadband campaign when the people have spoken? How can he believe he or rather we should sign a ten year contract? Who does that in such a changing field - unless there are other things going on? Why does he not answer questions and demands for papers and information when it is required of him? Why does he oppress those who are opposed to him? Why does he cancel rights of Americans? Why do some people refuse to recognize his growing incompetence even as our financial situation worsens? Why? Because people are afraid to change the status quo but if we do not, be it here or in the country at large - our status quo will be changed for us and not in a good way.
     Questions and answers, answers that lead to more questions. Sometimes action is demanded. Come march with the women on January 21, 10 AM. Be it a mile or two or a half or a block - show your face and show your support. Get behind your subject. Fight to keep our rights. Fight to keep equality and justice and honesty. Republican or Democrat or even independent - our rights and the rights of all in our country are being challenged. Stand up for them and stand up for yourselves. And after the parade in the days and months to follow -  make phone calls, sign petitions, write and send emails and letters. Constant vigilance is needed, especially in these times.