THE TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'

     So the song goes. But is it true and if it is, is it for the good or the bad? Think about the earlier times of one's life, or what one feels as a kid today as compared to what we older folks thought during our youth.
     I remember being taught that one should have respect for a position even if one does not like the person filling that position. Hmmm. Made sense then, as we stood in respect as a principal walked in to the classroom or a guest entered or even when referring to the President. It was always spoken of with a capital P.
     Even when criticizing a political opponent it seemed we had learned a lesson from earlier elections in our history as a country and learned to stop calling each other crazy names or shouting weird and false accusations. Policy is what I remember from the time I first paid attention. Talk re policy rather than personal accusations. Yes, I still remember the undercurrent of statements made re Kennedy's Catholicism and if he would listen to the Pope when making decisions. I cringe when I think of that and hope we have gone way beyond that.
     But I look at present political weather reports and are the times changing and in which direction? There is such disrespect for this president, such crossing of lines that never would have been crossed before, but then again, the President had crossed them first and contrary to his thinking, he was not above getting it right back at him whether he liked it or not.
     Now we have a time when the world is fraught with huge fault lines and not talking about the natural ones, but rather the ones that divide the countries, that split the populations of countries, to the return of tribalism, extreme tribalism even. And much to our dismay and to our peril, the so called leaders of the world have descended into the pits of fascism, of dictatorships, of mass killings, of encouraging hatred and prejudice amongst their own citizens and of course, against the "others".
      Most frightening of all, is the fact that we, too, here in America, are affected by this. We have a President who is being investigated for alleged collusion with an enemy of the country, Russia. Of possibly interfering with the whole process of justice, allegedly obstructing justice. We have a President who routinely and filthily and nastily demeans his own intelligence and justice arms of the government and tries to turn them into his personal enforcers!!! We have an allegedly deranged man at the helm, as we try to pas through dangerous shoals and reefs.
     So are the times a changin'? Doubts ring loud and clear. Will men continue to think that they can do what they wish with women, flaunt their 'power', abuse them? Will we allow women to lose the rights over their own bodies and health? That situation is  present right now. Has all this #MeToo changed anything? Not quite sure there as when Tom Brokaw was accused by two women, (yeah, I also was shocked but then again....), suddenly a letter came out defending him as a paradigm of proper behavior, signed by so many NBC female staffers, especially lower lever personnel. Today the truth. Here we go again and not Mamma Mia. Here we go again - men and executives forcing women to sign that which they do not wish to, that which they know is a lie. Again? Again? After all this? Again.
     When we have a head of government who praises the inhumane manner of 'catching' illegal immigrants. When we have this man and his minions speak of immigrants and descendants of such as lower than others. When we have children ripped from the arms of their parents, separated and lost in the system. When John McCain can write that this president makes no effort to distinguish our country and its actions from those of the countries of dictatorships. Well, when this happens - the times? Well, they are reverting! Not a changin' in the direction we want.
     Are there points of light and hope? For sure, as we watch the kids do the right thing; as we see the adults march ad organize; as we see the larger numbers of women running for office; we see the volunteers- well, there is hope and faith and perhaps, just maybe, perhaps the times they will change in the right direction. But we walk a thin line. It is so easy for a society to turn if one does not pay attention.
     Let us pay that attention and keep at it. There is too much at stake, too much to lose if we do not. And it is the responsibility of all. No cop outs.