CAN WE TALK?

  Do you remember Joan Rivers and her trademark question? Would that more of us today would remember that question and act accordingly. Much of the problem of today's angry, tense milieu are or can be laid at the door of refusal to talk. Accompanied by the other side of the coin - too  much talking. However, that talking is rife with hate and ugly untruths, replete with tension and mad fever rousing memes and tropes, falling upon and into the ears and minds of those open to it. Who then, too often act upon these false goads and well, the rest is obvious. Simply open eyes, minds and ears and look around.

There is a large story now roaming the media which tells the tragic story of a family split, riven, driven apart by a vast chasm, that of their differing political stands. Unfortunately, this is replicated throughout the nation and the general rule now is - no politics at the table. no politics anywhere, in fact. Strict silence in place if peace and civility are to remain in place. But is that the answer?

While politics can raise the temperature in the room, cause anger, and incite all sorts of negative feelings, it can also lay seeds conducive to progress, to shift in opinions ossified by time, shift into more open, fresh new thoughts and opinions. A society which refuses to talk, is a society which withers on the vine, which inevitably will not understand others in this society and drive the people apart rather than together.

It is during that time of enforced silence, a silence which screams in agony, that other talk fills in the gaping holes, only this time with true trash, wrongfully phrased, meant to be catchy even as these slogans are almost never fully understood, but rather are replicated via the chanting mouths in a mob spectacle which reeks of portending danger to this society and the people within.

"Woke" is a term, a concept thrown around today even as most people cannot actually explain what it is, what it means, why it is used. When that definition is heard, its true nastiness, its true horror, revealed, some can grasp what we have so foolishly allowed to grow in our midst - even as approval is granted to it. Here is the definition of "woke" according to the biggest proponent of it. Read and understand why I detest this man and what he stands for, what he has already inflicted upon the state of Florida in its inevitable march to the installation of Fascism into Florida and the entire nation should he achieve his goal of Presidency. " ... it’s a form of cultural Marxism,” “It’s about putting merit and achievement behind identity politics, and it’s basically a war on the truth. And as that has infected institutions, and it has corrupted institutions. So, you’ve got to be willing to fight the woke, we’ve done that in Florida, and we proudly consider ourselves the state where woke goes to die.”

There is a Latin phrase "o tempora, o mores" referring to discussion about the times re the customs and ethics that reign supreme. It is a discussion and evaluation, an understanding of the importance of knowing where one came from if one is to understand the present and arrange or provide for a flourishing, improved future. Silence, a no talking policy is totally antithetical to this whole idea and value of discussion, and allowed to become policy, it then becomes written in stone, etched deeply into the fabric of this society which consequentially edges into the night, allowing a fog of hate, retrogression to envelop the world. Woe to the society which permits this to become status quo.

The desire to bury all one disagrees with in a layer of ugly accusation, a perversion of truth and reality, presently perfuses the very air we breathe. Icons of acceptance of people, their differences and similarities, are trashed, demeaned, accused, tried, convicted and executed, it and its proponents, consumed in a maelstrom of ugliness. The exaggeration with which it attacks and condemns, trashes all it opposes, assigning negative values and motivations, is dastardly, ugly, reeking of minds closed off with an overflow of nastiness.

 The latest target: Sesame Street. Yes, those apparently perverted false flag flying sneaky Muppets. Their crime?

I hate to break it to those who see Sesame as entering sex into the equation, but these little kids watching will learn only one thing. What? To   accept others, to value others, to be willing to know there are differences in the world of humans which do not negate the similarities. Nor should we assign adult implications and interpretations to children. Thought we had already learned that lesson, but evidently, I was mistaken.

 " ...clearly depicted Elmo, Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, and Oscar the Grouch, among other of the show’s colorful characters.

The caption for Sesame Street’s post stated, "This #PrideMonth, let's celebrate diversity and unity and spread love and acceptance. Together, we can make the world a kinder place for all." It also featured an array of hearts matching the colors of the rainbow, Pride’s official logo."

As a college professor put it -  "Sesame Street has been a powerful force for good and decency in the US, and around the world, for over 50 years. It’s a national treasure. If this irritates you…you have no soul."

And amen to that! Additionally, there are families which contain two moms or two dads and what should we do with the kids of those unions. Ostracize them? Deny their reality? Or should we simply accept them for the kids they are, for the loving parents they have and move on and along. Sex? That will come later, at a more appropriate time as it does to all kids who eventually grow up. The ones who introduce sex to kids are the perverted, pedophiles and they are worthy of separation and condemnation. Not the Muppets.

Why we persist in growing these negative trends, encourage separation and hatred of the 'other', whomever that might be is a mystery. It is contrary to common sense and to history which tells us that only when a nation pulls together, when people come together, with exclusion nonexistent, disapproved of, is there growth in a positive direction. 

Before this society dies, unable to bear the weight of its mistaken behaviors, think of these lines from Ulysses by Tennyson. Applicable to individuals as well. Read them, think about their meaning, and then remember - together.

"Death closes all: but something ere the end              Some work of noble note, may yet be done."

Let us all remember, join together, do something noble, generous, and redeem ourselves and humanity in general.

Together. Together. 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 he always remain on the road of faith, healing and strength.

May we all walk on that same road.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.

Reject the hatred. Work together, not at odds with each other.