DRAWING LINES

     Once upon a time we had a country called the United States of America, filled with Americans who might differ in original background or in religious beliefs and even political beliefs, but still and  all, there was a concept of the American. Sometimes it was regarded as arrogant or spoiled, but mostly it was a  character that was unique to the world, a character whose origin was clearly recognized as an American strode thru another country. The passport was valued, treasured. To be an American, to live in America, was a dream of many, of millions, and the Americans already in the country, welcomed or at least accepted the new arrivals and allowed them to integrate within the country and so the generations melded and we all became Americans.
     But today it is no longer so. We have ruined ourselves, allowed others to ruin us, and have drawn lines, lines of separation, lines that arose from hatred and prejudice, bias and fear. These lines were encouraged by people with nefarious plans and these lines grew ever thicker and darker. We even had chief line makers talking of running for President in 2020 such as Bannon and that, my friends, my fellow Americans, is one of the most frightening things I have ever contemplated. Trump is bad enough what with his many faults, his lack of competence or power of thinking, his infantile tantrums, his biases, his greed, and the list goes on, but Bannon - dear Lord in Heaven, he is pure evil with not a single redeeming feature.
    I thought at times that I was an outlier, perhaps becoming too worried about our future, but of late, I am in good company, unfortunately. More and more people are thinking aloud, worrying and wondering over our future, not in existence - but as America, the America of old, the proud, the striving, the progressive, the welcoming. More and more there are books and essays, tweets and podcasts all concerned with the very strange and dangerous times we live in, how we have strayed from our foundations, wandered onto foreign territory and forsaken our principles.
     Just yesterday there was an essay by Roger Cohen, a columnist of the Times. While I do not always agree with him and his views, particularly as regards Israel, he has become over the months ever more outspoken in his worry and concern over where we as a country and as a nation are going. This essay was one of the most heartfelt and frightening pieces I have ever read and cemented my fears, validated my fears and worries and I wonder, people, where the hell have we gone? Where are our values hiding? Why have we accepted so many wrong and erroneous behaviorisms? Why have we allowed hatred to guide our way rather than acceptance, aid, friendship and adjustment.
     He wondered if this is America and has come to the same conclusion as I have long ago. This is NOT America as we knew it, as we would love to know it once more. And it is sad, so sad, and frightening, so frightening and must be fixed, remedied before it is too late. 
     Is this America, he asks and I ask, and so many others ask, where we antagonize our allies.
Where we tweet words of hatred from other haters.
Where we make up fake stories of an attack in Sweden that never happened.
Where words of comfort are not given to those who suffered a bias attack of great violence. Where haters are deemed fine people.
Where the president is approached more and more as a Great Leader - shudder - and do I hear Donald I?
Where the supposed leader shows definite signs of mental illness.
Where there are obvious degenerative changes of his brain.
Where nepotism, greed, dishonor are once more in vogue.
Where the undercurrent of filth among many is revealed even as the molester in chief remains in office and one remains on the Supreme Court Bench.
Where we engage in Newspeak rivaling the level of 1984 and Brave New World.
Where the pigs of Animal Farm have come to life. Where our soldiers are now told to prepare for a coming war.
Where the leader engages in adolescent taunting with another demented leader.
Where we engage with other countries as traitors, selling our country and its people down the river, colluding with enemies, accepting a presidency that is not valid.
Where seemingly we have forgotten our past, our heritage and our hopes and strivings for the future.
     Cohen states that "This is not America. It must be fought for and won back."
     WE have to fight for it in every which manner and form. We need to stand firm against hatred, against indecency, for the rights of all, minorities of skin color or religion, or gender or orientation or whatever perverted hatred is ginned up. We the people need to draw new lines, erasing old ones of hatred and fear. We the people, we the Americans, need to be American!
     WE the People. WE THE PEOPLE!!