SHAME

      Do you remember when you misbehaved as a kid and were scolded with "Shame on you"? Your head went down, your eyes became shuttered, and your shoulders slumped. Worse, when you were told that you had brought shame upon the family. Whoo!!! I can still remember such an incident and trust me, I never ever repeated that action again.
     But today it seems that we have no shame. We do and dress and act and speak as if we lived in a vacuum, with nothing affecting others. Not so, and the sooner we learn and accept that truth, the better off we will be. But learning the proper way to live is difficult and works best with models, and no, I am not advocating uniformity, only civility, compassion, and awareness that one does not live in the world alone, but shares it with countless others, including those of the future.
     Shame on us that we have deteriorated to the point that our political rallies have become cesspools of violence, physical and/or oral. Shame on us that we tolerate foul mouthed politicians and allow their foulness to permeate the air and cause others to think it is okay. From the illegitimate president on down, the airwaves have been bombarded with expletives and epithets. When new and young representatives reach DC there is no call for the use of language similar to that of Trump's. Tlaib needs to learn that. She used one of the worst, in my opinion, curse words and I will not even type it in here. Yes, she has freedom of speech, but yes, too, we need to exercise restraint in our words so that we do not exacerbate a situation that is already edgy and this new ingredient does not help push matters forward in a positive manner. Nor does a map that she displays with no Israel and only a Palestine, one that thus supports the terroristic aims found in the charters of Palestinian organizations - "from the river to the sea" - the Jordan to the Red Sea - there is no room for Israel. Not acceptable. Supportive of terrorists and this must end.
     So how do we do this with a supposed leader digging deeper into filth and corruption? How? By recognizing that the man is incapable of fulfilling any presidential responsibilities, incapable of doing the right thing and has a serious condition that will explain it. Tell me if this does not fit the man. "The Dunning - Kruger effect. Named for the two psychiatrists who discovered it, it is that 'very stupid people tend to dramatically over estimate their own capabilities. Too stupid to know they're stupid.....because the skills they lack are exactly the same ones they need to recognize their own incompetence. Essentially, it means that a lot of people who are thick as mince can have ridiculous amounts of confidence that's misplaced at best....And dangerous at worst." Very frightening, folks, extremely so. Look into the Oval Office and tell me that the epitome of this is not sitting right there - or rather tuning out in front of his TV screens!
     We have lost our way. We have decided, be it implicitly or explicitly, that we are going forward with anti immigration behavior and policies and so what if kids are killed, neglected, sickened and abused. So what, these people say. So what?! Shame! Shame!!
     We allow our federal workers to fall into a position where they are victimized by their supposed boss, turning to GoFundMe pages for financial needs. Shame on us!!
     We allow grown men and women - mostly men - to behave as toddlers, lose their moral guidelines, lose their spines and kowtow to a would be dictator of little properly functioning gray matter!! Certainly few morals.
     We allow ourselves to fall into an isolationist position which backs hatred and prejudice. People, we have been here before and had made progress away from this, so what the hell!!! Why are we turning back the clock to this? Shame! Shame!
     We shame people, attack them, when they wish to exercise their right to their own health care, to exercise control over their own bodies. In Iowa there are now billboards which encourage people to realize that the word abortion, the deed or act of abortion, is not shameful in and of itself, and people who have had one need not hide their heads in shame. In fact, the shoe is on the other foot, for those who would shame them, even kill them!
     And we shame ourselves as we cede the moral leadership of the world. As we try to wall ourselves off. As we destroy human life. As we teach indifference to others who are different from us for any reason. As we vilify an immigrant who committed a crime, forgetting that citizens do the same thing in even greater proportion, but ignore the little immigrant kid and his uncle who saved a man's life!! Shame!!!
     We have lost our way - as individuals and as a nation. We must find a way back. We need to dial down this hatred that we are embracing. We need to get rid of those who would keep us on this path and elect new and intelligent, capable, and honest representatives who remember the idea, the concept, of public service. We need to stop! Just stop. Find the proper way, the way or path of justice, for humanity, for the environment, for no more shame. Instead of being shamed in the world's eyes, let us return to a time when we could hold our heads up high and say with pride - I am an American.