Wednesday, May 4, 2022

THE HANDMAID'S TALE?

  It has long been a theme in life and art. Which one embraces and copies the other? Frankly, I believe it is a shared movement, many times not so good for a vital, good society, but unfortunately, these beliefs tend to grow with imitation both feeding into it and from it. It is a nasty cycle, one that can be traced through many tumultuous periods of history.

Today, all one has to do is think a tad and the harmful imitation is clear. The streaks of insanity, of anger beyond all reason, the viciousness of disagreement, the nastiness growing exponentially, treasonous behavior, the cracking, breaking of tradition to benefit political viewpoints, and the acceptance of insanity as a norm, not to be ignored, but rather treasured as folksy behavior, one of the crowd. Truly, life and art are intertwined, not necessarily for society's benefit.

 “pineapples, tomatoes, bananas” 

“It’s very dangerous stuff. You can get killed with those things,” 


  It is quite obvious that such a statement can come only from one who has damaged reasoning patterns, who has lost touch with reality and sensibility. Yet that same man is idolized by so many noisy adherents whose raucous noise drowns the sane, quells their reasoning, destroying all hope for a return to a sane, balanced society. A society which has  respect for traditions and foundational principles of this country. Frankly, I, and many others are doubtful of any realistic possibility of such a return. So damaged are we.

Flying dangerous fruit aside, we are at a pivotal point, or perhaps we are past that. Leaking Supreme Court decisions which were encased in cement long ago, detailing the methods and false reasoning by which rights are removed from women. Gorsuch, who writes so emotionally, pleading for equality of granting citizenship to all who fit his parameters, forgets, believes, that women are not worthy of equality, cannot have control over their own bodies and what's next? Red cloaks and hoods? Sanctioned sex slavery? Women as chattels, a la the past? What are we enabling and why do we have a Supreme Court, the highest in the land, so politicized, so broken, so destructive, so inimical to a progressive and fair society? Why are two accused sexual molesters making these decisions? Why is a tainted judge with a traitor for a wife not recusing himself on these and  other decisions? Questions bereft of answers. 

DeSantis chasing after Disney which spoke out, in an act of free speech, against his Gay phobia bill, ignoring the fact of similar tax agreements in Republican counties. A GOP candidate for governor of Ohio standing before a sign with swastikas formed by needles, ranting against the vaccines. Once again, Jews are blamed for illness, for anything that dissatisfies the benighted. Even as more antisemitic flyers are distributed again, this time in Culver City. Even as Israel mourns her lost soldiers, her slaughtered citizens, who died trying to insure the survival of a Jewish homeland, a refuge for oppressed Jews, shamefully oppressed, in the year 2022. When will it stop? Will it ever?

Trump continually talking of violence, suggesting that demonstrators be shot. Russia talking of sending one atomic weapon to Britain and "sinking her... once and for all". Traitors, heroism, mixing in the same village. Slaughter. Relearning war tactics. Vicious war crimes and will they ever be prosecuted? In fact, will the earth survive this latest conflict, this most obvious first stage of WWIII?

These are existential questions, problems, conflicting views of realities that can derail all of us. The situation grows worse, the anger grows as well. Civil discourse grows fainter and fainter, leaving deep cracks within the firmaments of civilized society. Where does it all lead? Where does it end? Can it be solved, resolved in a beneficial manner?

Your guess is as good as mine. Watch the flying fruit and remember to hold out a hand to those in need. Be strong in defense of a sane, progressive society, one where rights of all are respected. One where the constant scent of gunpowder is no more.

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