BRINKS AND EDGES AND WAVES

 For weeks, months, we have been hearing and reading about a red wave threatening to overwhelm the nation's and states' legislatures. Well, that was not truly a surprise as districts were mangled, gerrymandered to the extreme by GOP dominated state legislatures. However, much to the surprise of everyone, the wave went pfft! There were ripples, not pleasant ones, bringing more trash to DC and state capitols, but the wave never truly came to life. 

However, we are not out of danger. Not at all. Too many states continue to be GOP ruled, many opposing the wishes of the people- as could be seen in the right to choose questions on the ballots. Too many extremists on the left. Antisemitism rising. Anger and fear remain. The House of the nation is up for grabs and the Senate is on the brink, with one more possibility remaining, still being counted, less than a percentage point between them, and a runoff scheduled for Georgia. It must be noted that shockingly so many voted for Walker, a patently dementia challenged morally repugnant man, swept into possible office via the Kemp vote.

The nation remains on the brink. It remains divided though perhaps not as badly as we feared. That remains to be seen. There are enough baddies elected to continue to stir the pot, sending out fresh rancid aromas and viral lies and infections. Budd. Vance. Greene. Johnson. Perry. Goetz. Even Pence as he now loads the dice with fresh retakes on his 'heroism' on Jan. 6. Pfft to that too.

There are more brinks and edges awaiting us, some already there, drowning our republic where once there was secure, dry land. The Supreme Court is overwhelmingly partisan at present, buoying the hopes of radical conservatives who care naught for the people other than the 1% and their donors. Now we hear that four of these so unqualified judges went to a gala dinner of the Federal Society's, (a blatantly backwards thinking conservative organization), 40th anniversary convention -Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett - after overturning the right of choice. Shame on them and shame and woe on us. We enabled their appointments as well as so many, too many, on the lower federal courts - for lifetime -as our wobbly brink continues to crumble and rumble, ominously. These are the ones remaking our laws, retrogressing our society, joined by two more on the bench - Thomas, the pervert, and Roberts, a weak man indeed. Previous giants of the Court are wailing up there, confused, sad, worried.

Internationally things are not looking any better, with a stronger real fear of devastating actions taken by a madman abetted by his magnates desperate to keep their fortunes intact. They are the ones pushing the wave of repression sweeping Russia, as the ghost of Stalin chortles with glee, only afraid that his record numbers of imprisoned and disappeared will be broken.

In the meanwhile, we hear threats of tactical nuclear weapons. Of chemical warfare newly ordered by Putin, of awful, outlawed, immoral means of war, including kidnaping of children, arrests of civilians, torture, the massive destruction of the infrastructure of a nation bravely beating them back, at great property loss and horrible, awful human loss, 80,000-100,000 soldiers dead, wounded or missing, on both sides. And that does not include civilians. Where will it end? Will a wave of new warfare consume the globe?

Do not think that these possible rogue waves, these sharp edges, these unsteady brinks are nothing to you, not part of your life. Learn and think otherwise, know otherwise. Brittney Griner was one of many women sports figures who play overseas during off season so as to earn money as their salaries are massively below those given to male sports figures. Grabbed for nonsense, imprisoned for months for nothing, sentenced to a cruel inhumane fate, now being delivered to it, incommunicado. Nine years in a brutal penal prison of the Russian gulag, where she will be a target for the criminals who actually run the camp, a tall woman of color who stands out, unused to the freezing cold and the brutal lifestyle and work at the prisons. 

Where is she? Where will she be? Will American representatives be able to see her? Will she survive? My heart goes out to her - and know that any one of us traveling abroad is fodder to the maw of political fighting. Seeing her face cuts me to the quick, as I stand here powerless to do anything for her.

WE MUST BRING HER HOME.

 ALONG WITH THE OTHER POLITICAL PAWNS THERE.

WE MUST MAKE IT RIGHT!

WE MUST!

Edges and brinks and waves remain. Troubles and woes flit freely through the air, refusing to fly away. Why should they when we have such inadequate leaders and too many nasty people.

WE are the ones who must smooth the rough sharp edges, reinforce the brinks and calm those waves. 

If not us, then whom?