Gnarly is one of those words of which I wrote the other day. It has two meanings diametrically opposed to each other. One definition means something twisted, difficult. The second means excellent as in "That's a gnarly looking, car". What is our choice of definition these days. Or can we make positive constructive use of both? Gnarly question. And what about the response?
Actually, both definitions are alive and well, thriving even. On the one hand it is truly a twisted difficult threatening scene of life today. A university in New York where Jewish life and influence abound and cannot be separated from the threads of life of this city, part and parcel of its very being, when that university and others turn on their Jewish students, allow violence and threats to them, against them proliferate, and cannot find it within their core to stand up against this egregious dangerous outrage, well, what is left to say or do? Society has now broken, cracked, visibly, audibly, and is on a most dangerous path predictive of a most horrendous future.
Protest is fine. Protest is part of the American tradition. The original Patriots of this country protested and threw tea overboard or found roundabouts so as to avoid quite unpopular taxes levied upon them by England. Our early colonists were not bashful nor hesitant to express their approval or dismay with government. The country thrived on that energy. It impelled this country to seek and make and take the right choice, towards progress. Too slow, often delayed. But progress was made.
There has always been dissonance and dissidence in this nation. A wave of newcomers heeding the clarion call of "Send these, the tempest torn to me,” often met with prejudice and antagonism, for many reasons, but it eventually quieted down. Newcomers settled in, made their way up the ladders of opportunity to be found in this country.
However, America, as a nation, began to evidence the terrible actuality: America lost part of itself, and we are continuing along that terrible path. The impetus to do good, to achieve that good and to share it with others struggled to survive.
Where are we now? Do we wish to remain? Is that a proper choice? Or should we rather pick up our shovels and quickly dig a secure path out of where we are now. A Jewish ex-football player said this. "The hate that is out there for Jews, for everyone. The antisemitism, it's gnarly right now, and it's pretty hurtful,"
An understatement. Peruse the statistics, the thousandfold increase in threats and activities of antisemitism, now more aptly named JewHatred. Acts of threats, arson and murder. Terror at universities, so much so that some turn to Zoom rather than chance the gauntlets of hate on campus. It is ugly, made uglier by professors who are a disgrace to all educators and by administrations eschewing their duties. It is truly a gnarly situation in every sense of the negative definition. Totally twisted and perverted.
The actions on campus are not individual, but aee organized and funded, words implanted, by some hidden organization of wealth of money and toxicity. It is as a parade of Robotrons loaded with identical programs, buttons started, and sent off to wreak havoc and hate at assigned destinations. The reek rises to the air we breathe. Its shouts of death to Israel and death to America deafen us.
“I like to be in America. OK by me in America.” So sang Anita and her friends. Can we? I do not think so - too frightening and uncertain these days. Gnarly, twisted ugly roots of hate revived. What kind of Americans are we? What kind of American are you? What kind of American am I? Can we all share a definition? Is it not possible? This is a beautiful concept of a country, so why can we not all benefit from that beauty and bounty?
"There's a lot of hate going on in other places. War is terrible on so many levels. It's a sad time, like I said. The one thankful thing you have is we're not experiencing that here in our country. War is brutal, war is disgusting."
I believe that the above statement is somewhat lacking. We do have that hate here. We do have that rising acceptance, even approval and encouragement of violent expression of that hatred. At the end, though, I believe, I must so believe, that we can come to our senses and talk rather than hate, reason rather than threat.
Which gnarly are we going to choose.
Gnarly posit is it not?
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Yitzy, no doubt about your definition choice. It is only the good, the b\beautiful, the wonderful.
As you were, as you will always remain.
Always and forever. Always and forever.
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