EXPOSED

  So this morning I read an article which talks of an area where rock that is part of the earth's mantle, which should be waaaayyyy below us, is right there on the surface. Images of apocalyptic disaster form in my mind. Are we turning inside out? Is the earth collapsing in some way reminiscent of those B movies of this genre? What does this mean? Should we be afraid? Is there any way to survive if we turn inside out and upside down? How useful is that survival backpack for two for 72 hours in real life?

But read further on and calm down. It has been here for a long time and so far we appear to be stable. I believe that fracking does more harm to our stability than this area of outcropping mantle rocks. Our own behavior towards our home, our only little planet, is far more dangerous to its survival. Furthermore, there is a heck more to worry about in the fracturing of society, in the formation of not outcroppings but deep chasms of division, than in the interesting geological formation.

Turn around, figuratively, and look back at the path we have left, at what we have put forward as history for future study. As historians analyze this era, what will they say? Will they be able to point out when the structure of the earth, of society, began to fracture? Will they notice exactly when strange behaviors formed, when the first growing crack of chasms developed, and for how long they were there, ignored or encouraged?

Fake stories in papers, denigrating the opponents. Real articles that present the readers with horrifying scenes of rebellion, of needless killings, of bizarre and harsh behaviors of law enforcement personnel, the straits in which decent law enforcement finds itself, unable to fight a rising tide of extreme proposals and accusations. A huge trend among the media to report only that which further divides and inflames, causing a growing inability and worse, a lack of desire, to mediate, to change, to reunite, to become America once more, a leader and example par excellence to the world - and to itself.

A GOP member of Congress who hides on a toilet seat, armed with an obsolete Civil War era sword, afraid of a mob allegedly generated, encouraged by the very President of this country and his enablers and partners in crime. Then the growing denial of the truth of this attempted coup, the retraction of truths in favor of lies.

The growing disrespect evidenced in open sight in our society. Poison that lay pretty much hidden under layers of civility, begin to form outcrops, like the mantle rocks in Maryland. These ugly outcroppings of society pose a huge danger to it. One wonders why now? Why has it become socially acceptable, even desirable, in certain circles, to evidence hatred and contempt of others? Why is it okay that streaks of nastiness and worse, that had been squashed down, repressed, hopefully defeated, now find a welcoming atmosphere among too many. 

Please note that this hatred of others, of those different from ourselves, goes both ways. There are no innocents here. Either you are 'fer or agin'. A stand must be taken. One cannot be neutral in issues that divide between good and right, evil and wrong.

It is not an easy road that is before us. It is always even more difficult to overcome retro behavior than to move forward in a straight, perhaps somewhat wavy line. To have to rehash old topics that should have long ago been disposed of, is hurtful to individuals and society at large, yet it must be done. Talk, truthful and honest talk must take place and hard listening must take place as well.

It will not be a smooth road to walk, and we will be tempted by weariness, hopelessness, and bad thinking and leaders, to quit. We will ask why? But we need to turn back in history to a hero of the people, Lafayette, whose motto was, "Cur Non". Why not? Why not make the effort? Why not face the truth? Why not think and believe in ourselves, in the possibility of reform, the founding of a better society, a better world? Why not? Why not?