ARE WE THERE YET?

    There are some things that are universal though the language mght be different. Ride in a car with a child - some adults too - and for any ride longer than 30 minutes one will hear the inevitable: are we there yet?
     That same question is relevant to the state of affairs today and where we are being led, herded, with amazing, though terrible for us, success. That meme goes along with the echo of the Phantom as he intones his statement of "the point of no return". Put these two together. Add a dollop of conspiracy paranoia and lies, top it off with a huge helping of prejudice, not of returning, for it was always there, but rather the uncovering and newly politically correct expression of virulent prejudice, and cover it all with a pronounced and open case, the worst ever in our country, of dismantling of our government, of our democracy, of our traditions, of our world shaking Constitution. Outcome: the rendering of all our protection, our history, our rights, our dreams and hopes for the future into useless sludge. The question: are we there yet? 
     I truly hate to say it, but I fear we are there. No more yet. We are here. Not a good place to be on the informational map of our huge country. There are no redeeming features here, no ice cream stores to quiet the tremors, the fears, the growing oppression, the boldly open moves that are being made as the government and its various organs are rendered ever more useless, dangerous to the rights of the citizens and residents of this country. Worse even, for we have no place to turn for aid, as the very people presumed to be neutral, promise to be neutral, above politics, defenders of the people, not the president, well, they have turned on us, severely so. 
     We have morphed into our enemies. We reject justice, pardoning and freeing convicted, even self confessed criminals, subverting law and order. We trample on the rights of others, vilifying them if their deeds offend those attempting a takeover of our country and its very ethos. Did I just type "attempting"? So incorrect. It is no longer an attempt, but rather a successful political move and movement, much to our detriment. Are we there yet? Oh yes, we are, manifestly so. Do we have a chance or is the echo of the Phantom's "point of no return" growing ever stronger, louder, terrifying, dooming us to a hopeless, gray future, the future portrayed in doomsday movies ansd series, as it overpowers all other raised voices? 
     There is a frustration and outrage in the country. There is bewilderment and disbelief. That we have indeed "reached" there is astounding. It took long enough for the presumed influencers of society, even the brighter ones, to realize where our path has taken us. The picture becomes ever clearer. The resemblance to horror grows apace.
     Shouts of racial hatred, violent deeds perpetrated on the hated groups, traditional 'others', the very damned boldness of those who support these poisonous growths in our society. The City Council of San Antonio, Texas, passed a resolution condemning hate, prejudice, hateful speech. "...put forth the measure, which states that hate crimes, discrimination and aggression against Asians and Jews are on the rise as the groups are blamed for the virus's spread." The esteemed Senator from Texas, one who ran for president recently, took them to task for that very deed, claiming there is no racism, terms of Chinese virus are not hate inducing expressions, a sign of that very much out there prejudice. Bizarre. Terrifying. Ominous. And here.
      Jewish institutions are defaced, along with the so tried and true traditional cemetery vandalism. Asians are on the receiving end of frightening words. But nope, not there yet, according to Cruz, according to the mouth and very words of Trump. I suppose we need to have a step up in the power of the violence if we are to see the truth before us. Book burnings are always good for a big show, bonfires of truth. Ever more violence in actions of hatred. Beating up people, always a good release of frustration. Correct?! Separation and roundup, and finally consignment to oh so wonderful camps, places of vacation and useful work for the state. Places where we have condoned the growth of the whole mess, from burning books to burning people.
     Think it cannot happen here? It already has, several times. From the horrifying treatment and official policies to Native Americans, the attempts to wipe out their cultures, even unto today, to the immigration laws passed to limit eastern Europeans - read mainly Jews - and Asians from entering the USA, finally dooming millions to beyond belief torturous death - men, women and children, babies, the elderly, mothers and their young, separating out those men and women strong enough to be of use as a slave. We did the same with the Japanese, pushing them into derelict camps, no dignity, poor food and medical care, then taking the best of their young men into a heroic unit to fight in the war, rescuing their haters many times. Oh yes, it has happened and will continue to happen here if we allow this situation to continue. We are here. Not yet, but now.
     We have a President who should never have been allowed into office. Besides lack of brain power of any quantity at all, he is a hateful, divisive man who thinks of and values only himself and demands crazed loyalty and blindness, abrogating all humanity and sense from his administration and thus, from the country at large. He has destroyed us and will continue to do so. When Pelosi says, aggravated,"I don't have any idea what the President does," I understand, for he does nothing presidential, but we do know what he does. That is to fracture our country and then put it together in some twisted form, all the better to endorse and insure his Ruler for Life of this once wonderful country. Anyone opposed? Under the wheels of the bus you go.
      "...don't waste your time or mine on what he says," Pelosi says and I understand the underlying reasoning. But she is wrong. We need to pay attention to him and his blind benighted sycophants, the citizens who eat up his hatred, or those who cannot see the truth for the blinding of their eyes with his supposed new clothes. The man is naked before our eyes and we refuse to see how dangerous, how inimical he is to our country.
    We are facing the largest, most powerful threats to our surviving as we are. Our unemployment rate is overreaching that of the Great Depression. The supply chains of food, of medicine, of products needed for business and manufacturing, our goodwill - all are gone, destroyed by that man and his incompetence and the hubris of his supposed administrators. With the "savior" Jared at point, we know what we can expect and we do need to pay attention, act upon what we see, hear, and understand, as uncomfortable as it will be and is right now.
     I do not know what the world will be like should we ever defeat this plague upon us and any to follow. I do not know what the future will be if we allow this man and his ilk to remain in office as he continues to dismantle our country. I do not know that, but I do know that "are we hear yet?" can be answered with a Yes. We are here. We are almost at the point of no return. Everything I have written, warned about, is now being acknowledged and predicted, warned about by wiser, more well known people. It is frustrating, for I do not understand why it was ignored for so long, why we stuck our heads in ever deeper holes in the sand. I guess it was easier than facing the truth and our complicity in allowing this to happen. But we do admit it now so we must act before we are lost in a gray, oppressive, devoid of all hope, world. 
     In the interim, until and unless we wake up, think carefully. Open eyes, ears, and mouths rather than shutting them to the truth, unpleasant and frightening as it may be. Otherwise, we are lost. We are here, not yet, but now, noses touching upon the demarkation of the point of no return.
    At the very least, have sense. Be well.   Stay safe.