CACOPHONY

  What is cacophony? It is defined as loud and strident noise. It is not the soothing music that calms men's souls, but rather the noise that precludes any real hearing and listening. Cacophonic is defined as unpleasant noise, with an example of a henyard's noise, or indistinct noises of people talking at a time when they could not be heard distinctly. If ever a word fits the times, well, this is it. 

We here in America, and in fact, all over the world, are so busy screaming at each other, ramping up the volume higher and higher, talking over each other, that nothing is heard other than the negative and hostile tones that come through very clearly. Supposed new deals, historical statements and supposed progress, is muted, as the participants revert to the old, hateful ways, ranting and shouting, as in yesterday's rocket attacks on Israel, on its civilian population.

While in a politically sensitive area, the question yesterday is a matter of a sale of a parcel of land to a Jewish family by an Arab family years ago. Banned from that property for years, until 1967, the land was sold after years to a Jewish organization, one that  believes in settling the land. Period. A private matter belonging in court, now played out in the court of the streets. Arab teens, goaded by older men of terrorist organizations who then hide away from the physical consequences, gathered a supply of stones - not pebbles, but big rocks and concrete blocks, thrown by hand or powered by deadly slingshot energy, enough to kill or seriously maim the wounded. Hamas, always ready to strike, then shot rockets, continuing to do so, at anyone they can hit, including civilians while Israel hits military targets warning the occupants about it!! The new 'friends' of Israel now shout out against Israel and here we are again, embroiled in cacophony, all the old enmity coming out in the open, the faces of monsters reappearing beneath their obfuscating masks. The winners? The haters on both sides are in this loud and strident - and deadly - noise.

There is much cacophony among the nations of the world, blustering like little boys in the schoolyards during recess, only these 'boys' are bolstering their verbal attacks with deadly weapons from guns to ships and planes. Cacophony!! Can anyone hear the voices of reason here? Can anyone hear the consequences in this deadly showboating? No, for the cacophonic results block all off.

Here in the USA there is new cacophony, so loud and unpleasant that we refuse to hear what is being said. Lindsay Graham tells us “Can we move forward without President Trump? The answer is no,” Graham said.  I’ve determined we can’t grow without him.” Are you frightened yet? Do you read and hear between the lines? We are being told that the GOP has willingly and consciously gone with the fascism ,the personality cult, the deranged hate mongering that will only grow under more Trump control. They have chosen a demented man as their leader and pace setter. G-d help us. G-d help America and the rest of the world.

Now we have the shouting of the "critical race theory" threatening to upend our entire educational system and a whole lot more than that. Has there been racism in America? Of course. That racism went both ways as we all refused to accept the 'others' as equal to us, whomever 'us' is at the moment. Every single group has faced racial hatred, ethnic bias, some worse than others. The hate seems to hide beneath the surface, just below, always ready to peek out. However, has that racism defined our country, underlay all that we have done and propose to do? Absolutely not!!Most emphatically not!!Most newcomers came here to build a new life for themselves, their families, to find hope, education, to live. To save their lives from the violent hatred back in their former homelands.

Sure, they faced and still face bias, but it does not underlay it all. That theory is demeaning, and consequently will have bad results. White people are being made to feel guilty for being born with lighter skin, to examine their every breath for implicit bias, so radically the same effect and philosophy as self criticizing meetings demanded of citizens in communist countries and other dictatorial areas. It is fascistic, communistic, just part and parcel of all anti democratic philosophy. It is wrong. So wrong. So dangerously wrong.

Sure, improve the content of our history classes, but think not that this is a new issue. It is not. States have been revising their history texts for years, depending on where one lives. Wrong? Yes and no for it depends on the revision!!! People change, we hope become more enlightened. But c'mon! An entire country based on imposing racial bias and hatred on others? An entire country to nitpick its every action and policy for connection to bias, particularly against the group of the day? Trying to read the minds of people long dead? Really? Think ahead and wonder at the cacophony resulting, the cacophonic noise that will preclude any positive, clear thinking to approach the problem of bias.

McConnell seems to have reformed himself. It precludes anything and everything that does not fall into the category of 'defeat the Democrats". Block access to vote? Yup. Deny needed injections of money into the economy? Yup. Destroy the environment? Yup. Why yup to these and more? Because he has signed on with the Trump Party, with the imitation Jabba the Hutt, accepted its revision into America's fascist party, with one goal - defeat the Democrats. Then quiet the noise with an America that is no longer America.

Can we all just settle down, take a deep breath, use our indoor voices for once, possibly hear each other enough to try to hear more? Can we do that? Dora the Explorer will say, "Yes, we can!" Perhaps we need to revert to another childish aspect of ourselves and hear the optimism expressed in children's talk. There has to be a path to follow, a good one, a rational one. Doesn't there?