TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC

     Music soothes the soul. It provides great therapeutic aid in many instances. It is enjoyable, for the most part, and is a part of a cultured and advanced or advancing society. But facing it is also meant to say that we need to realize the truth of matters and accept what we must do. Well, time to face the music here in the United States.
    It cannot be stressed enough. The man is insane in every understanding of the word. He is ferociously erratic, mean with the nastiness of the person deep in dementia, has changes of statements and character in rapid transition, perseverates on items and issues that are over and done with and  cannot let go. Of anything.
     His troubled and troubling behavior is looked upon with confusion and fear, fear of the unknown, fear of the incapability of keeping the world and the planet safe with this man in this position. It is regarded with admiring eyes and  imitative behavior by the dictators and authoritarian figures around the world and his hatred has aroused the daring of the haters here and around the world as well, and primitive behavior is rewarded by him and his.
     We have lost the dignity of leaders who have fallen in abject cowardice to his lunatic behavior. And yet they all seem to mourn this even as they continue on its path. McCain was beautifully eulogized at the ceremony by all sides and yet, his character traits which were praised are the very ones that have disappeared in increasingly fast rates over the Trump years.
     His rallies are virtual sweathouses of hate. The attendees shout with hoarse and wild cries. They cheer his demented statements and plans. They cheer his curses and campaign against Hilary, never willing to let go. They cheer the very man who has taken their healthcare, their safety net, their protective regulations, placed tariffs on their products so they cannot sell them, cut off their source of labor with no migrant workers available and yet, they cheer. It boggles the mind and just reminds one that throughout history people have cooperated in their own demise and in the destruction of their nation.
     But even as the historians of today keep warning us, keep shouting how we are losing our democracy, even as Trump threatens to get more "involved" with the FBI and the Justice Department, even as he threatens to shut down outlets of the free press, of the media in all its facets, even as he does that and the historians warn of the danger to our democracy, to the destruction of our checks and balance system, even as all this is out in the open - so is he and his waning, but still there supporters.
     The candidates who won with his backing are candidates who spout bigotry, who appeal to the lowest points of mankind and they see nothing wrong. Former opponents give in to his threats and the fear that he will not support them and the ugliness spreads even more.
     Time to face the music, folks. The music that Trump espouses is discordant, disruptive, harsh on the ears and minds and definitely stultifying to the brains of thinking people. Will we ever reach the point of shutting this music down? Will we cut it off at the roots? Will we become America once more or will we succumb to the grating tones of the music of incompetence, of villainy, of hatred, of a lack of a future and of insanity? Will we allow that which we disallowed so many years ago - nepotism, cronyism, outright bribery, outright criminality among our politicians, open misuse of campaign funds - to flourish once more? Will big business rule the roost? Will unions be crushed to dust? Will we have future versions of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire? Think not that this is impossible for we are edging and crawling and sometimes jumping ever closer to it.
     The music is playing. Which button on the jukebox will we pick? The music of hope or the music of jagged tones of hatred and all that is evil in the world? The music is playing ever more loudly. Soon we will not be able to hear ourselves think - and perhaps stop even thinking as we trudge through a life of no music at all.