Thursday, December 15, 2022

READING SIGNS

  It used to be that signals were sent via smoke or the sight of huge fires, signal fires, that could cross a country in minutes. Simple, yet effective. People knew what to watch for, how to light the fires and then dealt with the cause of those fires and smoke. The beating of drums or the sound of horns were often added or used alone. Generally, it meant a time of trouble ahead. Today we have the signals, though unfortunately we are not reading them correctly. Even worse is that we do see them, we do hear the blaring horns, the thumping of drums, but we ignore. Worse is that there are too many that rejoice at the growth and necessity of these new signals, add to the cause of them in most negative manner.

When a person spouts nonsense, rants about absolutely insane conspiracy theories ranging from the absurd to the inane to the dangerous, we need to recognize the truth right before our eyes. How can we continue to ignore the growth of this dangerous trend when everyday it gets worse - and we cheer it on. DeSantis is going after those who "poisoned" the American people via the Covid vaccine. Well, poison me again that way, as my initial vaccine and all the boosters, generously given to me free, along with home tests, saved my life, the life of my spouse, the lives of many friends and oh, say at least 3 million more in the USA alone, never mind the rest of the world. So go sue yourself for criminal stupidity, DeSantis and take along the rest of the morons who back you and root for you.

The thing is, this garbage persists as people, out of stupidity, out of nastiness, out of a plan and desire for power, continue to spew this dangerous crap. "Loose lips sink ships" was a motto of WWII. Today, loose lips are sinking not a ship or two, but rather the entire nation. Unfortunately, the state of the world follows right behind, sinking along with us. As right-wing crazies aided and abetted by insane left-wing crazies rise to positions of power and refuse bipartisanship as a positive movement, gain power, so do their 'cousins" in Europe, Asia, all around the world. 

Governments are becoming more oppressive -and murderous as well. Lynching - in 2022! lives on as a weapon of suppression by governments. Shooting into crowds, removing rights, darkening the future of this planet and its inhabitants, and all we do is ignore the smoke, the choking of our breathing and move blithely along the path to death and extinction. Even as the very ground we stand upon deteriorates, dries out, floods, is consumed by rising ocean waters, and dies, taking the future of mankind along with it. 

The drumbeats of hatred sound louder and louder in our ears and minds-and into our lives. Reviving memes of hatred are given new life even as they portend more death. Rising antisemitism now admitted, even as the FBI ignores data from Miami, LA, and NYC, the three largest sites of Jewish population, as they compile a supposed evaluation of antisemitism in 2021.What the hell! Watch a video called Epidemic of Hate: Antisemitism in America. And remember - Jews are a minority but somehow people forget that, refuse to include us in the protection of minorities.

Our members of Congress openly call for the dissolution of the nation. They clearly plotted to overthrow it, to stage a coup d'état - but were foiled by brave, outnumbered guardians even as they violated their own oaths. These guilty ones remain a clear and present danger to this country and need to be dealt with as such. Leaders? Not of us nor for us at all. Even as a clearly criminal former president, a traitor, continues to spout his vitriol into willing ears. 

Even as our Justices of the Supreme Court, the notorious Gang of Six, socialize and openly consort with violent in your face haters, antisemites, misogynists, anti-democracy, antigovernment, right-wing extremists. How the hell can we have any faith in them as they violate their oaths, are partisan to an extreme, and partake in the suppression of rights in almost every case they accept. When they stand in judgment in cases where there is a clear conflict of interest and should recuse themselves - but do not.

The smoke grows even as we ignore it. The fires grow and we refuse to see it. The world edges closer and closer to a worldwide conflagration even as we play ignorant. Yes, signs are there. There are also hopes of righting the imbalance but only if we pay attention, active attention. When we rejoice in a rescue even as we work to free Paul Whelan and the other political hostages. Where we somehow get an insane dangerous man out of his government as he drags the world into a nuclear war. Another madman. Another error of ours. Yet, there we are, chugging along, blithely ignoring every warning in our path.

We are like the man flooded out of his home, clinging to a piece of wood, sure that G-d will rescue him. He turns away two boats and a helicopter, all of whom wished to rescue him. He refused, claiming G-d would do the rescuing. He was that sure. Even as the waters rose, and his piece of wood became waterlogged and sank. And as he drowned, he called out to G-d, why was he abandoned to this fate. G-d answered," Who do you think sent all those rescuers to you? You turned them down. Your death is on you. I did my job." 

Well, we need to do our job as well. To ignore the signs, to turn away from dwindling chances to save ourselves, is to confirm our own peril and reap the fate we have enabled... See the signs of danger, feel them, and deal with them. G-d gave mankind free will. Let us use that gift properly, positively, with hope, with strength and action. 

There is a shard of hope to clear the air. 

But - 

Time is short.

No comments:

Post a Comment