"TEMPEST TOST"

     Remember learning the whole poem in grade school? How we all stood there and proudly recited it, excited when we learned of its importance, its meaning and connection to the principles of our country. How we all were reminded that perhaps we were part of that "tempest-tost" multitude, either ourselves, our parents or grandparents or however far back, for all people here were immigrants at one time or another.
     But today, if one looks towards a great big green statue, one begins to see holes in the fabric of its meaning. "Send these, the homeless..." Really? We do not even take care of the homeless within our own country and we chase down the new immigrants with a vengeance so where, for heaven's sake, have we gone wrong? When and where have we seemingly made the decision to ignore the Lady, ignore our purpose as a country, and turn instead to hatred, to cold shoulders, to selfishness, to Fascism with America First borrowed straight from the lexicon and philosophy of Fascism.
     When and why have we allowed a weird orange maned degenerate to rule the country. And I use that term, rule, with serious intent and purpose. Just as we once had pride in the Lady and her poem, so we once had pride in another Republican's statement in a turbulent time. "....government of the people, by the people, for the people..." Oh, how the Republicans have changed. Oh, how they have turned their backs on a proud history and are now the party of oppression, of suppression, of prejudice, greed and power for power's sake.
     When a supposedly safe seat is lost even for a short, almost politically meaningless in a way, what do the Republicans say? First they go all a twitter, worried for their own seats in November elections. They worry they will lose their majorities from cities to states to country and lose their hateful programs. They worry they will not be able to stack the deck on the Supreme Court bench, nor continue to take apart all that the country means, even as they drain it of money with taxpayers paying for the regal lives of the Secretaries!!
     And back at the golf course, Trump openly admits he lied, made up facts -  ooh, Fake News....in a conversation with Trudeau, a head of state of our northern neighbor, a good friend and to read his statement and his boasting of it is to hear a deranged and functionally illiterate person, one who desperately needs help to return to sanity, if that is even possible. Perhaps now even the still willfully blind will come to accept that this man is so flawed, so morally repugnant, that he has to go.
     Even as Trump advances his agenda, shouting America First ever louder, rending his Cabinet until he finds all like minds so that there is no disagreement with his fascistic policies, even as he speeds toward his anti democratic plans, perhaps all is not lost. A safe district goes to a Democrat, who mind you is more of a Republican in Democratic clothing, but the point is made. Perhaps there are those finally seeing the light. They are seeing the crazed power hungry mind at work, the dangers of a selfish and corrupt administration, the deterioration in the reputation and yes, power, of our country, lessening day by day, hour by hour.
    And our young, our besieged young, have found leaders, those who are not afraid to speak up, tired of being sitting targets in a crazed carnival booth with them as the ducks and the shooters individuals who are enabled to get the guns that kill them. And why? Because the politicians take the dirty money of the NRA who rant and rave about the Second Amendment but forget the Declaration and the right to LIFE that they are ignoring. I take great pride and hope in these youngsters who have organized a nation wide movement, coordinated it and are planning the next phase of it for March 24. Hopefully, these are the statesmen and women of the future - not politicians, but public service people who wish to serve the people in positive and good ways.
    Then once again we will be able to look into NY Harbor and see the Lady, proudly recite the poem, proudly return to our roots, proudly become not the tempest tost country we are now, but into a refuge for those tempest tost to our shores and even for those who do not, for to make America great again, unlike Trump's perverted version, is to find our hearts again, our purpose again, our morals again, our democracy again, to truly believe that all have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" - in a safe and moral and inclusive manner. Would that this time comes soon.