Wednesday, August 15, 2018

UNKNOWN REGION

     Among the stats for the blog are the number of readers in a particular country, be it the United States, Russia, Indonesia or whatever. I get a kick out of it and always check on it. But two days ago there was a new country or something, anyway. It was called "unknown region" and my reaction was where on earth is an unknown region? It is broken into states and nations, every piece of it unless we are talking about some small island or the extreme Poles, but I do get a kick and enjoy knowing that somewhere mysterious there is someone reading the blog.
     But there is a more serious unknown region that we have already entered and we are going deeper and deeper into it. Joseph Conrad wrote his iconic novel, The Heart of Darkness, and its meaning was clear. What about the heart of darkness that we seem to have today in our civilization? We appear to be lost in a similar jungle setting, a setting which we entered into by our own choice, yet did we really and truly understand the consequences of this decision? I think not, for many of us, though there were and are some who rejoice in the jungle.
     For over two hundred years we have existed as a country that set an example for the world. It was governed by rules, by law. Voting rights were extended. The rights of the worker were recognized. Women were given the vote. Child labor was banned. Safety regulations were written to protect us and the earth. We welcomed immigrants and the contributions they made to our country. Aid was given to countries in need and we stood out as a leader and beacon of hope.
     But now? Now we are in an unknown region and we had better get out of it fast, faster than we have moved at present. Yesterday, Trump announced and signed a new Defense spending bill, tagged with the name of John McCain, a true hero in the lexicon of heroes, but Trump hates this man who did his duty while Trump pushed his bone spurs. So he never mentioned his name. But Trump's pettiness is to the nth degree and he believes, like a child, that if he does not mention something, it will go away. In addition, and this is key - hours after the signing, Trump announces that there are about fifty provisions in here that he does not like and says he will ignore them and do what he wishes. He assumes broader executive power than ever, from his denying the rights of Congress to say no to him and his desires, or to give funding to a country that supports Russia's power over the Crimean area. 
     This is unprecedented. The man looks in the mirror every day and sees the image of the crown on his head, or the title Dictator for Life, growing ever stronger and clearer. And his inner ugliness grows ever stronger over the country.
     This is an unknown region for us as a country. Never before has the President violated laws and tradition to such an extent. Never before have we had a man who lies and lies and lies  over and over again and then denies his denials. He is crude, the crudest one we have ever had. He calls African Americans dogs, dumb and worse, used the N word and thinks he can deny it when we all know and have seen examples of his bigotry and prejudice. Remember the "nice" people on both sides!!
     It is the unknow region that threatens to return in rudeness and discovery of a hidden layer of dirt beneath our history and this man tries to get us back to that region. His buddy thinks that a picture of Trump et al in space suits with a Nazi emblem, under the sentence or motto that "In space no one hears you lie" is a compliment.!!!!! He says nothing about the discovery of the numbers of victims of cleric abuse in Penn. and indeed all over. He says nothing good, but roots for the hatemongers in the primaries and this election in November will be a clear choice for us. Do we go to the good, the friendly, the history of ourselves, or do we go to the unknown region of Trumpian rule forever. Just think of Prince Junior or Princess Ivanka. Dear Lord!! Think it cannot happen? Well, then explain it to me how they are in government, doing official business and add on the rest of the cronies in government and then what happened, we might ask, what happened to the rules against nepotism and cronyism. We have returned to the unknown region.
     A woman is shopping for school supplies for her kids. Great. Normal. Not really. She is approached and asked what is under her shirt and she remarks that she is carrying twins, a boy and a girl, and is at 34 weeks. But nope, she has to pick up her shirt and bare her belly to show it is babies under there, not notebooks!! I cringe at this and other reports of doing anything while black!!! I cringe at the video of the black cop beating the crap our of another black man and I wonder, what is with this hate? Where did it all come from, this entitlement to be rude and crude and mean and nasty? Yes, we have the genes for that, but never before has the President of the United States made it okay. Here is our unknown region.
     Come together and work together to insure that the only unknown regions are the worlds of hatred and bigotry, of dictatorship and bias, of oppression and violence. Otherwise, well, the choice is clear. I welcome, you, my readers from the unknown region. The other unknown region? Think about it and see where you come out on the choice.

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