A LIGHT UNTO THE NATIONS

      Nope, not a Biblical lesson. This is about our country, the United States of America, which once stood tall and proud, even as a new and small country, an example to the world of what could be done if people were strong in their convictions and the goal was a good and proper one. So the colonists, ill equipped and yes, consumed by factors of sects and disagreements, managed to agree on one thing - they needed to be a free country, away from the smothering control of England. And yes, not all were to be free, but at least we did remember that all should be free and over the years, too slowly, but at last it happened and slavery was abolished.
     The small and new country was the only country to take on the Barbary Pirates, a scourge to the world. It set its stamp on the New World, it protected its territories and yes, even stole much territory and caused heartache and horror to Native American people, but once again, this new country needed to learn what was right and proper and there was always a group of people who stood up for that right and finally most of the majority did learn from them.
    I know this is almost a whitewash of American history, simplified to almost an absurd point, but the very point is that we did try ad we did grow and we did become a light unto nations, nations which learned from us, nations which sought their own liberty and independence, nations which declared themselves democracies. We stood for human rights, we supported ways to find peace even as we fought wars to protect those who needed protecting. And yes, more errors were made but we did try.
     But something went wrong, seriously wrong. Today we are the butt of jokes all around the world. We are jeered at for our election process, ridiculed about our whole system of government and the way it no longer works. We began to hear only ourselves, to be unthinking automatons to a Party line. We became tribal in politics, in living, in loyalties and woe upon he who did not belong.
     Voices protesting this were heard, but were not strong enough to overcome the naysayers, the negatives within society. Our public servants became self servants and the constituents suffered. Patriotism, as usual, became the last refuge of the scoundrels and the would be tyrants. Suddenly only they knew what was best for people, whether they liked it or not.
     But there was more. Reaching right into the president's office and family, there began to grow a terrible and shameful connection between Russia and Trump et al. Whether he was involved personally or not is not yet known but the doubts and the questions are there and the deflections tried, the ranting and raving on Twitter, the accusations of "fake news", the pushing of fake stories by Trump, his use of lies - and the shadows of tyrants begin to fall over the country.
Is the man truly ignorant? Is he truly evil? Does he not know what he truly does not know? Is he mentally ill and can he use hospitalization and if so - what then?
     We are no longer a light unto the nations unless it is in the negative. Other countries are trying to push populism, nativism, prejudice - just as they see it in the United States. And on top of it all, the cause of it all, or rather the result of the cause of it all - us- as we are the ones who allowed him to get into this position  - but this man who now looks literally insane in his pictures, with his mean face or his pout or caught in the middle of a shout or threat and that hair!!  The whole gestalt is simply not normal!!
     Can we be a light unto nations once more? Do we even deserve to be and can we get back the respect and trust we have lost from the rest of the world? I really do not know and I hope and pray that we are all equal to the strength that this will take. But it must be done.
     And we must introduce more light into our Village. Now we have the "expert" David Israel who has knowledge that is quite well known by all, at least anyone who reads a paper, as he pretends to be  a know it all. So instead of writing what is of importance to the Village, he writes what is of more concern to others in spheres we can do nothing about. And as for pretending that he knows all about the Mossad and what they do with the internet - puh leez! The only thing that I see that concerns the Village is his approval of more control over what the media writes. Uh huh. Not a surprise, this coming from the man who wants to control all here in the Village and cuts off access to all media to anyone he dislikes.
    In addition, if he wishes to be honest with the Village, then why is he once again pushing Atlantic Broadband and this time with his stooge, Lanny, as the sudden expert on all things internet and broadband. Will the papers on this and other topics in the Village be open for public view, for transparency . Nope. Not on your life. Sharon Bock says she makes all things available to the public but not David Israel. Time for him to go. Time to let in the light here and let us be a light unto other condominium associations and how to run their developments. Time to get to work!!