OF THE OAK TREE

     First, let me apologize for the tardiness of the blog posting. We were waiting since 4AM this morning to get an appointment for the vaccine first dose. If not so serious, it would be funny - the jam of cars, the use of two lanes one direction, the overwhelmed organizers and sheriff's deputies. And yet, due to their hard work and despite the semi panic of the people waiting, due to the incompetence of our government, for a shot, this was a success. However, the doses are too few for the Village so.....

But anyway, just returned, victorious, with an appointment, so on to the day's blog.

There is an old Irish saying that the oak tree must remember that it is cut down by a wedge of its own wood. In the Bible we are warned that the worst enemies are the ones that come from within our own midst, our own people. Throughout history, the Quislings, the moles, the traitors, have been despised, men of no loyalty to country or family or friends and neighbors, living lives of lies, leaving hurt and anguish behind.

The enemies that sacked the Capitol, who came armed for war - and that is what it was, make no mistake about that - planned to do physical harm to building and people, looking to literally hang Pence, Pelosi, Schiff, and anyone who got in their way. They killed police officers, deliberately, in cruel and painful manner, destroyed and vandalized, and left this country in shock.

But why was there such a shock? It has been clear as day as to what was coming. The oak tree that is America, the strong and proud tree that shelters the world, that welcomes all between its branches, under its canopy, that provides comfort and hope to the world, has been under attack for five years. These attacks have been enabled by liars, by ambitious and dishonest people out for their own good, and never mind the people, the Capitol and  the beauty of our oak tree.

At a lecture yesterday on evil, particularly that of the Nazis and in fact, all cults of personalities, the parallels were obvious, but, as was noted, the evil that is closest to us is the evil that is hardest to perceive. Oh, no, not us, never us, but oh, yes, can be and is us. It happens when we allow concerns that we have to overwhelm us, and to look for both a scapegoat and a leader. They choose the victims viciously, demeaning them, degrading them, ranking them as subhuman, unworthy of protection and certainly not of any worthy thinking. Their flawed leader mesmerized them, fools them, molds them into mobs, promises pie in the sky, urges they take action, and they fall into a mob person, dependent on others for directions and behavior.

This is what happened here and continues to happen. Our oak tree is being hit with many wedges on many sides at the same time, all constructed  of its own wood. Our own Americans are chopping away at their own tree, the very tree they are convinced they are protecting. Even as they chip the roots and the branches at the same time, they continue to think they are right. So vicious do they become that others begin to be too afraid to speak out against them and their evil leader. Yes, evil. Evil exists in this world and evil has attacked our oak tree.

By allowing Trump and his negative mobs, his physically violent mobs, his mobs filled with haters and violators of human rights, of no compunction to resist harming others, to chopping away at the oak tree, to get away with all this over the five years, well, here is the end result.

But wait, for I am incorrect. This is not the end. The end is planned for the following week when their conspiracies and plans are to come to fruition. Rebellion in all state capitals, attacks on buildings and people. Arms and ammunition. Who knows, perhaps the same nooses they erected in DC. And as for the nation's Capitol, they will be there with faces distorted by anger, twisted by hate, ugly with intent to do harm, kill, murder. Do not think that was not the intention of the first insurrection, for it was and is for the next and the next and the next until they feel they have victory.

They are the enemy amongst us. They are led by a demented psychopath who cares naught for anyone other than himself and his inflated version as a winner, even as he is the biggest loser of history. He will go down as the traitor President, the only one in our history. He will go down in history as the cause of so many deaths via his feeble response to the pandemic. He will go down as having the most incompetent, corrupt administration. He will go down as the president who incited insurrection in the very country he vowed to protect.

But that is exactly what the enemy within is like, what they do, what they plan, and never think it cannot happen, not now, not here, not to you and not to your loved ones. It can, most certainly, and is happening right now - unless we become ever vigilant and prevent such another one arising as soon as we kick this one into the street, into the sewers where it belongs and refresh and renew our oak tree. Throw away the wedges made from itself, for we are better than the enemy within. Remember that. Be strong and brave and be not afraid to speak out.