WHAT?

 Every morning, usually very early morning, I sit down to peruse the events of the day, read articles, and await inspiration. What to write? On what to concentrate? Local, national, international? Personal or neutral? Or simply go with the flow, whatever the fingers type - so be it. Will people read it, think about it? Will I hear again that I need to cut the length or tone down words of more than one syllable? I truly resent that suggestion for it insinuates that most readers are intellectually challenged, a pretty nasty assumption.

However, come to think about it, perhaps there has been a deterioration in audiences round the world as listening to serious discussions and presentations has lost its appeal. People seem to prefer buying into the mass approach - chant along with a catchy slogan and you are willy nilly anonymous. Your individual responsibility in consequences, such as violence or instigation appears to be negated, subsumed into the persona of the "mob".

 That is a most dangerous turn of events, for page through a history book and you can see the mob philosophy at work - not pretty at all. Huge, unthinking, individuals morphing into that amorphous blob, chanting, walking, excited, unthinking, acting - and then regretting, quite often. But the harm is done. Not so easily undone.

Are there crowds, mass protests that can be good? Of course, but the original prompting motivation must be a good one, preferably pure, unselfish, and not to be used by those who would take advantage of it to parlay it into a support system for themselves. For an example of that, check out Marc Antony's speech at the funeral of Julius Caesar. One of the most powerful and successful exhortations of a crowd as it transformed into an unthinking, mob chanting, go with the flow emotionally driven and impelled.

We unfortunately have too much of the mob behavior these days, challenging our democracy, making a bad, dangerous joke of the thinking power and rationality of ordinary people. Supposed leaders appeal to the basest emotions, the basest, most challenged people, even convincing those who know better, yet go along with it. It is difficult to resist or oppose groups of people, as people become frightened or give in to the urge to subsume their individuality into that of the mob, being one of many, eliminating personal responsibility. Even as they buy into a philosophy which they would ordinarily abhor and avoid.

What can be said then re this mob philosophy? First, avoid that shift from crowd into mob. Maintain your standards, your beliefs, argue against perversive behavior. Avoid the mesmerizing chant of the unthinking, unhinging mob. Know what you are about, what the protest is about, what the issue is, and more, most important, what it is not. Mob behavior of shouting and jeering can be tempting, momentarily emotionally cathartic, but leads nowhere other than no good.

Unfortunately, in today's world of mass media availability, its use as mob instigators is powerful, as the mobs can be aimed at individuals, even as they form a media mob in philosophy. Mass thinking grows. Mob behavior grows. Those interviewed vie with their words to speak strongly, buy into that mob, to be part of a movement, to belong. All the misinformation, the dissemination of disinformation, is bought into, enhancing that comfortable feeling of being part of something, a sense of togetherness that quiets the unease, the uncertainty of what is happening. 

People buy into and support, believe in that which they previously opposed, stomp on former standards. Alleged and indicted, convicted leaders are supported, their malignancy paved over, sent into the Nacht und Nebel, the dangerous, frightening fascist night and fog. Suddenly the mob is gone, the individuals are arrested, and what once was a democracy, a generally caring, progressive democracy, joins the world of pitiful, broken, nations whose populations are oppressed, left to shift for themselves, deprived, bereft of hope.

The mob consisting of those deluded, caught up in the emotions of the moment, subsumed into the mob persona is not a good unity. It is a false unity cruelly used by those who would see themselves as the controlling elite. It is not a togetherness, but rather a massing, unthinking nonbeneficial and certainly most often harmful political tactic.

The togetherness we need, desperately, is a good one, with powerful, positive, caring, unselfish motivation at its core. Those characteristics are applicable on every level of togetherness as it should be. It is a togetherness which benefits individuals and groups. It seeks to aid, to bring about positive change. It brings a Brittney Griner home and continued efforts to redeem and repatriate our other political prisoners in Russia and elsewhere. It is a togetherness which opposes mobs and the harm they intend and/or achieve.

This is the 'what' I write of today. Always.

Only when, only if, we unite and acknowledge the truth of the matter, that it is up to us to defend our country, to keep it out of the hands of those who would destroy it, only then can we anticipate a victory. 

Only if we do it together- all Americans. All defenders of democracy, and equality, in human rights, of justice. 

Together. Then.

 Look what we have done. Together. Always.

 The drum beat of together.

Together. Together. Together.

Only together.

Together.

Together - Together we can achieve it all. 

Together we can

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.