Newspapers often have the obituary for a famous person all ready to go should and when it be needed with just a few updates. People write their own in advance as well, getting in the literal last word. I happen to like that idea and plan to write my own funeral speech as well. Gotta' have that last word when the kids cannot answer back, right!!
But never before have we had it to this extent. Iowa teachers are taking to writing and sending in their own obituaries to the governor as school opening is being contemplated. And right they are. As a former teacher I prefer the in person mode of teaching, but common sense must take precedence in the fight, the war, to meet the challenges of the pandemic and at the same time educate our children. We can do both, but we cannot ask teachers to step into an unmanageable and dangerous situation, one that could very well lead to not only their own deaths, but the deaths of family and friends and that goes the same for the children and their families.
Nor can teachers be asked to teach a class of the younger grades without being allowed to pat a child, to draw light circles on the back to soothe them in a moment of distress. Nor can teachers be teaching if half their concentration is devoted to checking the masks on the children, their seating, their playing, their washing hands, the whole gamut of A to z. And to their own safety as well. It just will not work and too many tragedies.
Teachers are willing to defend - and have done so already - their students, but not to take death home, for no good reason at all, not to endanger our kids just to prove a point and satisfy ignoramuses such as Trump. One does not make a point over literal dead bodies. We have done too much of that already.
Much more frightening is the fact that we are writing our own national obituary. How dare a fascist dyed in the wool actually put into words the unthinkable idea of postponing elections. How dare this fascist put into words the very idea that even if elections were held, he might not honor the result- of course, that is if he loses, which G-d willing - he will. How dare he actually try to remain in position against all and every provision in the Constitution against this possibility. In fact, should he try to postpone elections, he still has to step down by Constitutional law and then - Pelosi takes over as Speaker of the House. Oh yeah!! Madame President! By his own greed and corruption undone. A good ending and payback to the man singlehandedly composing our desperate ending in time.
Described more and more as a grave and imminent threat to our country, as a danger to its very existence and ethos, I say welcome to the club. I beat ya' to it!! Unleashing armed mystery forces of brutality upon citizens, protesters. Gathering information on journalists!! Praising the rebellion, the treasonous secession of the South, praising extremists, pandering to racial hatred, reviving old canards of immigrant hating society, preparing to throw out millions of Americans. Why? Because their parents brought them here as kids, were raised as Americans, think of themselves as Americans and act accordingly, but they are Mexican or Central American or some other place which Trump does not like and so - throw them out! Denying the very foundation principles of our nation,
To list all the ways in which Trump et al are writing the American obituary would take up much space on the internet. Every day, almost every hour, there is yet another disaster, another denial of America, another attempt to set up a new country wherein he founds a dynasty of rulers. Another day where hate grows. But also another day when people are finally coming together. John Lewis wrote his own essay before his death and asked that it be published on the day of his funeral. Read it. It was in The Times.
It is one of the most impressive pieces I have ever read, beautiful, meaningful, and while sad at times, it contains the hopes, the promise of America. It praises the ongoing efforts to keep our promises, to shine them up, to do our best. To remember who we are - Americans all, America all. The proud inheritors of the dreams of the Founders, imperfect as they were, as we are, but the best thing to come down the pike of history.
We need to ask ourselves if we, as a country, as a people, are beyond redemption, beyond repair, uninterested any more in building America. Yes, it is an ongoing battle, a tedious slog at times, but nothing good comes easy and we must always be on the watch to improve, to shore up, to defend, to repair, to do our best for all, for us and for the world.
If not, well, pull out that Obituary Writing For Dummies and get started!
Otherwise, VOTE. However you choose to vote. The Post Office might be a tad slow, okay more than a tad, but they will get it there. There is no nefarious plot in there to pull ballots, to 'know' which ballots are the ones for them and which not. Just VOTE. VOTE! Let us get back on track, watch the sun rise again, watch the stars twinkle once more. And watch our kneeling people stand tall again as the anthem delivers the promise of America to all. The choice is clear. Let us not fail each other. Let us not fail our families. Let us not fail the future. Let us not fail ourselves.
en.
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