Monday, August 31, 2020

A TEAR SOAKED LAND - OR IS THAT BLOOD?

     Imagine this scene upstairs: Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, FDR, JFK, Paul Revere, John Paul Jones, Nathan Hale, and a slew of others are sitting, agitated, shouting, crying, distraught beyond all descriptive terms. They cannot understand what has happened to their country, what has become of all their efforts to build and improve this land, this country they served. They acknowledge their errors, but in the American spirit, cheer on the efforts to correct and amend those errors. But now? Now they are confused, in despair and wonder aloud how a despot like Trump ever got to sit in that seat of power. How did America come to be headed by a snake, one who compares with all the dictators they fought against throughout the history of our country.
     Downstairs, in the world of today, people walk around with shoulders hunched around their ears, with frowns upon their faces, speaking with trepidation only after sounding out the political views of their co-conversationalist. There is a fear of what will happen if one speaks the truth to one who disagrees with them. There is a growing fear that we are becoming a despotic state, a country ruled by fear, by the very fears aroused and instigated by the one who should be out there railing against it.
      I heard the phrase "unbridgeable chasm" used in a conversation with a survivor of Mengele's twin experiments in Auschwitz. No one from the "normals" could ever understand what happened, how these kids felt, how these adults still feel, the anger, the denial of justice, the lack of knowledge as to exactly what was inflicted upon them. The very fact that the family company denied their knowledge of him, supported him for decades, and their escape from prosecution is aggravating, but think now of the mirror image.
     No, as of yet we do not have that degree of hate, but do you honestly think it is far away, not actually here right now? Think again. Think of the cages of the detainees, the lack of food, blankets, water, hygienic conditions. The separation of families, just like the train stations at any  concentration and death camp. The roundups, with trucks and armed forces, shouting, threatening, no warning and no escape. Steps taken along a very bad road and we are taking them. Be under no illusions about that. Watch the words, the faces, the distortion of mind and body as the right wingers express their hatred of other Americans.  Other Americans!!! We are at war with each other. That is now a fact. We now have another unbridgeable chasm and personally, I cannot see a clear path through, over, under, or around.
     Bad things start with missteps. They continue with purposeful missteps. They continue with increasing acts of hatred, of violence, of the bitterness of words. These words lead to actual violence. This violence, encouraged by those who benefit from it, grows apace and people are killed. Once one is killed, others will follow. This is a tired, evil, path of history and we never seem to learn, do we? Time and time again we persist in doing the evil dance with enemies of mankind.
     Folks, even as the tears of great Americans flow upstairs, so, too, do they flow downstairs. Why are 17 year old kids coming from out of state, armed with an assault rifle? Why are cavalcades of hatemongers encouraged by the President who calls them great Americans plowing into protesters? Trump encourages this because he knows he benefits from every act of violence, building upon the fear of people, exaggerating the facts, trying to build up a picture of a war torn America salvageable only by one such as himself.
 The goal? To rid this nation of anyone and all who do not look, think, believe, or act like them? What has happened to us?
     Citizens using paintballs and pepper spray against fellow Americans who basically have been declared worthless. The results? "an escalation of violence is something beneficial to Trump. Strongmen leaders incite crises so they can pose themselves as the law-and-order solution.”
     No mistake about it. No more warnings about blood in the streets. That is here. That is a fact. If we do not stop this movement in its tracks then we, America, are doomed. Doomed to lose our country, our place in history, our dreams of a future better and safer for all. Gone. In a shout of hate, a spray of burning acid, a spurting of blood. When we ignore the lies, the ever growing stock and harm of these lies, then we doom ourselves. We are the partakers of our own destruction.
     So folks, get out there and VOTE. That is the only way. Mail it in. Bring it to the office. Stand there till it is your turn, Stand there and watch that all get a chance to VOTE. You, me, all of us. The burden is upon us. Let us shoulder it willingly and play our role in saving this country.

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