TODAY IS 1776

  Reading that sentence and where it was stated and written, brings  great shivers down my spine and great discouragement to my heart. Adam Kinzinger, one of the very few, ever shrinking number of Republicans who maintain a sane existence, tells us of Boebert's tweet "Today is 1776" on the very day, Jan. 6, on which there was a planned and violent attempt to overthrow our government. More devastating to any true American, any democracy approving person, any law abiding person, is the fact that he believed, on good information and thinking, that there would be such an insurrection. He brought his gun and had staff and family remain at home rather than attend Congress. Frightening to an extreme. Particularly when he further states that he believes there were Republicans who knew of this plan and either helped it along or were complicit by keeping silent.

 No, that day was not 1776. It was not a day when Americans would rebel against the tyranny of  George III. That was a day when the colonies took a first giant step, almost equivalent at that time to the first step on the moon of our time. To demand accountability from government, to demand the right to participate in government, to have a say, to have representation - wow! That was and will always remain a day of 1776 in spirit and law. Increasing voter restrictions is the diametrically opposite direction.

However, to have a rebellion, led by the incitement of the voted out President, to instigate unrest with the lies that grew ever larger, minute by minute, to plot to install the first Dictator of America, one who planned, openly, a family dynasty, well, 'nuff said. That is, if that were the end of it all, but sadly, dangerously, it was not.

29%. Twenty nine percent. That is the percentage of Americans who stated they would most emphatically NEVER get vaccinated. After close to 600,000 Americans died from the virus. After the sick were almost countless, at one time and still in parts of the world, like the grains of sand on the beach. After the cost in and to people, the economy, the shutting down of the world, they refuse. Most telling, this segment of ridiculous but dangerous people are mainly Republicans.  "86 percent of Democrats have received at least one shot, compared with 45 percent of Republicans. Another 7 percent of Democrats say they are likely to do so, compared with 4 percent of Republicans." Yes, the split on taking the vaccine runs almost perfectly along party lines. Republican? Endanger yourselves, your loved ones and all others. Democrats? Do the right thing.

Even more frightening is when a true hater and believer in hate, in fascism here in America,  Greene, calls the attempts to convince people to take the vaccine comparable to the murderous deeds of Hitler's Brown Shirts, to know that "The best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family and the people you care about the most is get vaccinated.” . And yet, here we are, awaiting the impact of the delta variant upon this country even as the curve of worry, of infection, the vision of overcrowded ICUs could be dismissed - if only people would do what is right. If only.

This country is fracturing. We are becoming no better than a land of primitive tribes, each warring against the other, each arguing with any and every point of the other tribes even as they say the same thing in different words. Stupid-and life threatening. The danger does not end there. It rather escalates until the point of no return is reached as all progress of the past is reduced to naught.

Republicans try to emulate the worst President ever. A man who cops to his law breaking, boasts about it. A man who has family members contemplating rolling over on him, with his most 'trusted' adviser, Kushner, disavowing past deeds. A man most demonstrably demented, mentally and physically challenged, heading quickly into that long and dark night. A man who can find himself imprisoned - and may that day come soon! A man who threatens, who appeals, to the lowest side of others. A man and his supporters who claim patriotism even they plot to overthrow.

But the Democrats are not blameless here either. See, I am not a blind supporter along party lines; I do support moderation. I do support America and all she stands for. I do support attempts to right wrongs, but not to the point of turning this country inside out, going to the extreme on the other side, replacing one prejudice and preferment scale with another prejudice and preference scale causing a growing backlash. Worst is bashing this county, as it is, as it stands, its standing in the world as a country to emulate. Country bashing does not make you a better legislator. Acidic people bashing does not help. Getting out there, diving into your productive work, is the way to go.

So, is today 1776? Unfortunately not. Not on Jan. 6 and not today nor yesterday, nor, I dare to venture, will the next few years, as America struggles to find her place, to grow into what she was and is meant to be. We need cooperation to do this rather than the automatic and growing opposition to others based on party affiliations and cruel, crude criticisms, of others and of self. We are almost as bad as the self criticizing sessions of the Chinese Communists and the informants in the countries behind the Iron Curtain.

We need to wake up, smell the coffee, the latte, whatever it is that we need to smell, that will replace the rank odor that is now permeating America. The window of opportunity is shrinking fast even as the dung heap of hatred grows. We have got to make up our minds, realize the consequences of action and inaction and keep every day as another 1776, the true one, the historic one, the one that has blessed us all.

G-d Bless America indeed. But G-d helps those who help themselves. We all share in the blame and we must all share in the corrections.