AND THE ANSWER IS.....

  ....up in the air, though getting perilously close to an answer most definitely - or should be - anathema to any American, to anyone who supports democracy at its best, when it stumbles and falls and picks itself up and tries again, until finally, against all odds, succeeds in taking yet another step forward. It for sure is not easy to maintain a democratic state of government, an open populace, understanding of a perilous situation and willing to take chances in defense of democracy, even in times when it appears weak and a safer choice - not really - lies within the grasping and nonrefundable hands of fascism and its practitioners. And folks, the answer to the question of "Is this America?' is now a ranking member of the uh-oh category of troubling response.

At present, democracy is under siege throughout the nations of the world. African and Asian nations toss out elections, or revolt, claiming altruistic motives and then becoming or emerging as the same old, same old. European countries, eastern or western, are reeling under terrible societal anomie.  Traditional responses are no longer valid. 

Tired of violence, the ever-rising rate of angst, the seemingly endlessly returning tropes of hate and their increasing ability to find homes within the so called 'moderate' contingent, the people seek relief. In doing so, they fall into the same pitfalls of previous challenging times. They look for relief, for a strongman or woman to rescue them, free them of the responsibility of making choices, difficult and unsatisfactory. They want peace - but do they get it in this surrender of arms? 

There is a war of words and philosophy going on now, between those of the media who speak words of truth and warning and those who have hitched themselves and their decrepit wagons to the dangerous tails of those who are or should be anthemia to any thinking person aware of truth and historical facts and imperatives. They have become shills for   false prophets and fake rescues. Their voices are grating and loud, often overpowering the voices of the defenders of battered and besieged democracy, liberty, and truth.

The ugliness is real. The truths are there for recognition though our eyesight has taken a turn for the worse, corrective lenses in short supply. An ever growing ugly trend of outrageous threats achieving acceptable status, even fashionable, grows apace. The responses to these phenomena are weak, insufficient, even pathetic, certainly not addressing nor meeting the needs of society.

Once again, a resident of a benighted fascist headed Florida, I read of two more developments violated with the strewing of filth upon their property - plastic bags filled with antisemitic filth, disgusting slogans and papers, rife with threats awaiting all Jews. The response of lawmakers? Oh, mighty indeed. Citations for littering - Littering! Sure to induce preventive shakes within the vicious pea brains of these troglodytes, empowered by the Fascist, and happily running around this past weekend in their red and black uniforms and masks, trolling Disney, trolling the world - frightening, though there are too many who continue to downplay and deny, to hide heads in sandpiles never deep enough to evade reality.

Trump vows to imprison his opponents, calls them all sorts of names more befitting the schoolyard, even banned there, and his followers eat it up, agreeing, to the point of killing opponents. Some   responses offer hope, but is it sufficient to overpower the raucous, hateful evil of Trump? Very uncertain. A most awful place of residence.

"These fascists would create a right-wing government built off bigotry, a cult of personality that worships Trump, and total control that would make Adolf Hitler smile if he’s watching from Hell as Trump takes over as the leader of the American fatherland. Democracy is a beautiful thing – but it’s also fragile.”

  "..starting to understand how Hitler came to power after he was put in prison. Yikes,” one person said. “This is literally the playbook,” another replied. “Surely his blind fans can see why we compare him to Hitler.“ 

 “Lock up people who oppose him? Is this the America people want to live in? An America where everyone must comply, where no dissent will be tolerated, where there is only one voice that speaks for all? This wouldn’t be America.”

Are those statements solid enough, to build upon, to hope, for a timely enlightenment of deluded brains of America?  I pray so. 

The truth is there, all truths and there has always been a deep streak of American antisemitism with adherents from the elite, a la Henry Ford and the highest ranks of the State Department down to the dregs of society. Buoyed by such, including   American 'hero', Lindberg, a vicious thread of antisemitism remained alive and thriving within our borders, the equal to European related threads.       America has been good, a boon to Jews. Escaping sure death, torture, uncertainty, America proved a haven for life. However, their presence, particularly an influx of desperate refugees from the 1880's through the 1920's offended many haters.  By 1924 there was enough animosity and open, virulent antisemitism to pass and enact a law strictly limiting immigration of Jews and others from Eastern Europe. 

These Untermenschen, less than human, 'diluted and weakened' the 'purity of true' Americans and had to be banned. At the very moment when Jews needed a place of refuge, literally life and death, the door closed. With a slam. And several locks as well. Along with a growing, out in the open, in your face   fascism. Los Angeles had a very active cabal almost completing rebellion plans. Speakers roamed the nation ranting, marching all over the country, including a massive 20,000 strong crowd of heiling, arm thrusting creatures in Madison  Square Garden. Incidentally, there is a wealth of information to be found about this period, books and articles, fiction and nonfiction.  

As it was, so it seems to be. Too real a threat to sleep in total security, sure of safety. The most sophisticated, 'civilized' nations gladly rounded up their Jewish citizens and residents, and shipped them in cattle cars, gift wrapping not required to places of brutal slavery and assured death.     

This hate, never dead, simply went underground, its ugliness showing every few years, and now - out there, front and center, part and parcel of the newly revitalized movement of hate.

 So, is this America anymore?

The envelope, please.

And the answer is in. It is .........

 Folks, the answer should and could, must be found in a movement and understanding that we are all in this boat together. There is no immune group. Each and every 'other' by whatever definition issued, ginned up, is subject to life and death hatred. It need not make sense, will not make any sense for by its nature is and always be senseless.

 There it is.

Only a togetherness, a strong unity can defeat this filth.

Together we can save our souls along with the soul of our natron and the souls of the world.

Ony if we want to.

And only together.

 We can not move forward if we do not do so together. Freedom of stride, but unity of goals.

Together. Only and always together.

Together, always together.

Together, united for good.

Together.

Together.

We can heal the nation.

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu.

AMEN. AMEN