Wednesday, March 15, 2023

A SPECIAL KIND OF STUPID, A SPECIAL KIND OF HERO

Interesting phrase is it not? A phrase used so appropriately to describe Lauren Boebert, how true it is, sadly, dangerously, so. However, at the same time, I am not so sure she is stupid. She joins her compatriot, that poisonous woman, Marjorie Taylor Greene, blurting outrageous statements and suggestions, and what happens? They both gain followers, influence, and quite frankly, Greene is the shadow behind the throne, a noisy shadow, behind Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House and overall creep of spineless construction. 

Not so stupid, is she, is it, for her actions and outrageous hate filled remarks, her blatant ignorance of anything worthwhile, have gained her prominence and power. Not so stupid. And attached to her rocket trail is Boebert. I shudder to think, to realize that these "stupid', malignant women are influential members of the ruling Party, are setting a pace for the more blatant hate filled, ignorant, populace of the country, spokeswomen for many, too many.

This kind of 'stupid' sends chills down my spine. The danger is imminent, growing in numbers and power, and 'stupid' statements of the like of red and blue separation into two countries, with a massive population exchange, was once thought ridiculous. Today, in these weird times, it is actually discussed and analyzed by the talking heads of our society!

So, I ask - who is stupid now? Last laugh, anyone?

I wonder why we have ceded so much power to those who use it to disempower and disenfranchise us. I wonder, marvel in worry how our supposed leaders have deteriorated, 'leading' only when there are benefits for them, too often, generally, at great cost to the rest of us.

How sad it is when they and their compadres and backers are compared with leaders such as Jan Karski, a bold man who asked only for all to realize that "We have to do something. But what to do?" During his lifetime, at great personal risk, he knew the answer and acted upon it. He served as a 'tape recorder, a camera,' for the sake of humanity. He recorded the destruction of the Jewish people in   Poland, especially in Warsaw. He 'recorded' what he saw - the ugliness and deadliness of its ghetto, entering it stealthily. He knew that if unstopped, there would be no more Jews in Poland and then the world, cried out to the world, to the heads of western countries, the Allies, to indeed, Do Something. And got nowhere.

He was, remains a hero, for all time. Worthy of emulation, he spoke out where no one spoke. He empowered those who needed help, did not abandon them. The minority of members of the Polish Resistance who understood and cared, sent him on his mission, too little, too late, as no one wanted to hear nor see the truth. Claiming ignorance as the truth was splashed in the papers after the end of WWII, the truth is- they knew, they certainly did.

However, they were all willing ostriches. Churchill spoke pompously how they were going to destroy the enemy, and the Jews, well, collateral costs and all that. Tsk, tsk. Roosevelt discussed the agrarian nature of Poland and their consequential need for horses. Obviously, naturally, horses were of more interest and value than the planned successful program of extinction of the Jewish race. Of course. Naturally. Despite his prediction that by 1943 there would be no more Jews to rescue.

Humanity abdicated its role and responsibilities - to protect all, to prevent harm, to move forward in the pursuit of justice for all. The cooperation of so many, the willful deaf and dumb and blind attitudes of the populaces, the too few who dared to 'do something' set the bloody standard. Bonnie Tyler sang out with the question, the plea - "Where are all the white knights" for even in her time, my time, your time, there remained too few heroes.

We need to find our own heroes and they are around. There are those who risk defamation of character, persecution, imprisonment and execution, torture and actual carried out threats to families. Yet they continue, quiet, determined, strong, heroic beings; would that we could be them - would that I had their courage.

However, I have found a new hero, one whom I love desperately. It is a little boy, 12, who should be arguing if he was safe or not as he ran the bases. He should be involved in his remarkable passion for bird watching, the growth of his already formidable knowledge of birds, and their feeding from his hands. He should be annoying his siblings, a spoiled 'baby' of the family. He should be bearing up under the barrage of hugs and kisses from his adoring grandparents. He should be anticipating his bar mitzvah and high school. But he is not.

He is, instead, fighting a battle of life and death. He is the battleground of horrific combat between toxicities - the chemo and the damned tumor. He needs to 'man up' at the age of12. When so many adults have not 'manned up' as of yet. He is the hero who goes to chemo even as he knows the awfulness of the ensuing horrific nausea.

He bears up, remaining the sweet child he is and has been from the day he was born. 

He is a hero. My hero.

And so many others round the globe are praying for this small hero. The power of their prayers push the chemo to shrink that tumor, to allow for a full and complete healing, gone, never to return. And for Yitzy to grow up and be the hero for others as he lives his life. So...

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

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