All of us can recall the myriad times we picked a daisy and then pulled off the petals, one by one, all the while reciting a mantra, of variations on ...does and doesn't. Today, it seems that is exactly what we are doing and consequently this country is reeling.
Should we bust the filibuster? But what happens should the GOP regain control of the House? How do the Democrats then block any national restriction of voting rights - the first step to the installation of Trump or clone as First Dictator of the United States? But is the filibuster proving to be a tool of repression supporters now, much to the harm of the ethos of this country - or what used to be its ethos. Are Manchin and Sinema actually aiding the 'enemy' by their presumed support of a bipartisanship whose ship has long ago sailed?
So, must we or mustn't we? Do we give up a tool that has served us well in many instances, or do we keep a tool that is now a negative weight on our necks? Must we or mustn't we? I believe there are millions of people out there whose heads are spinning right along with mine, as we try to maneuver and remain on our feet on a ship rocked and battered by super strong winds, winds that carry nothing good along with it.
How the heck do we proceed? One talks of a "red letter" of shame that a rebel of Jan. 6 wears, thus negating the need to sentence this reprobate to a meaningful term for participating in an attempt to overthrow this government. What? Say that again? Shame? I don't think so! This man will be praised, lionized, by his crowd, the same crowd that believes in the deep state that allows for child trafficking! Shame! No, not at all. None at all. He will be congratulated for escaping any punishment, for pulling it off.
Even as the prosecutor reminds us all that "each rioter contributed to the collective threat to democracy", the defense, quite cynically, in my humble opinion, attempts to usurp the image of Lincoln, the man who tried to restore some sanity to this country, the polar opposite of modern day actions of the present GOP, and urges that we "share the chance to emulate Lincoln". As Biden asked, " Have you no shame?"
Meanwhile, the retrograde GOP is trying to return to the days of yesteryear as they encourage religion to directly mix in to politics, where they do not belong. Every extremist is convinced that his/her view is the correct one, the cure-all this country needs in its present throes of uncertainty. The Catholic Church, in the form of some backwards bishops who think we are living in the days of Henry VIII, want to refuse communion to Biden as a political tool - where they have no business being, by the way. Let them , all religions, argue about their own lacks, their own needed reforms, before trying to inject their poison into our body politic. All religions. All extremists.
COVID has allowed absentee voting, a perk legislators are using to enable multi tasking, abusing its original intent. However, not being present is actually a revelatory statement of their attitude these days. Unfortunately, too many legislators are not present, not there in any positive sense of the word, absent in the necessary defense of this country and what it stands for - or stood for, anyway. Today, I, and too many others, are adrift in a sea of confusion, wondering where it all went. Where did the youthful idealism of so many turn green with mold and then rust away, leaving holes in our foundations. When and why?
QANon says, so 'cutely' clever, that believers “drop all references re: 'Q' 'Qanon' etc.” to avoid being banned on social media. A month later, Q declared that “there is Q, there are anons, there is no QAnon.” The term was no longer necessary, because Q’s mythology of an all-powerful deep state that enables child trafficking and election fraud was entering the mainstream conservative discourse." People believe it, point it out, use false words, false flags, and purposeful misdirection.
On we forge, using useless polls to direct mistaken efforts, harmful efforts. We are being warned that our way of life is threatened, but whose way of life? That is not very clear to many, as they deny the truth of the pandemic, even as the death rate rises in their very own backyards; even as they deny the alleged criminality of their demented leader, Trump, his traitorous actions and statements, instigations of violence, as common sense seems to desert them.
With great apathy and a huge atmosphere of denial, we are walking straight into the fog of "Nacht und Nebel" of all fascists, all dictators. We use polls as we like, deny them if contrary to our needs, and as one said, "we do not know with whom we are not talking" as we take these polls. Many, if not most, people these days do as I do. We do not answer unknown numbers. No one wants to hear anymore about car warranties, criminal warrants, Social Security issues, and imaginary student loans - or of a loved one in an overseas prison! So we do not pick up.
And we have grown into that habit. We are not picking up anymore, ignoring the calls to action, allowing others to fulfill our responsibilities. We allow misguided people to usurp our rights, to supposedly speak for us. We are fooled by false flags and wake up too late to turn the clock back on the damage done.
We need to put down the daisy. We need to end our careless way of life, the apathy that deafens us to the calls of the alert and wary.
Must we ? Mustn't we? Oh yes we must, daisy petals or not.
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