Friday, May 11, 2018

Still mad as hell



My morning news had just one incident since yesterday of white on black trouble; a police officer with a choke hold on a young man, in prom clothing, who just escorted his sixteen year old sister to her prom. My brother used to put on his suit and take me places. When he showed up in his U.S. Air Force uniform, my dorm mates swarmed him. The police never did.

Monday I went to breakfast with my BFF. We used to go to breakfast a couple times a month, but she chucked winter in northeast Ohio two years ago and moved to Charleston, South Carolina. Now we go to breakfast a couple times a year, and it takes longer to catch up.

Carol is a retired medical professional. I am a retired artisan. We met forty odd years ago, divorced, raising small children. She’s Jimmy’s mother; the six year old who followed the only people he knew, my daughters, to the deep end of the YMCA pool, and terrified his mother and me when it was “accomplishment day”, and he performed in the deep end, starting with diving off the tall board. Jim’s retired from the Marines now, Special Operations.

My friend looked across the table Monday, deep in our kvetching, and said “Jo, you know I’m a dyed in the wool, hard core Republican.” (Which is why we don’t place blame when we talk politics.) “Jo, we’ve made a terrible mistake!” That pretty much summed up our conversation of world affairs, domestic affairs and cost of gasoline.

And I told her we’re paying the price for electing Obama as president for eight years. I see no bottom in sight to dismantling liberty and justice. How the hell did John McCain hit the Republican cross-hairs? Why have I and many of my friends hit the drug donut hole in March? We know why gas prices are climbing back to Dubya’s day. Will the CIA find new advanced interrogation techniques? Probably.

I can’t fix it. And I can’t stop being angry about it, reasonable or not.

The Washington Post today has a story about voter identity unease in the Trump’s Midwest; buyer’s remorse among voters who only thought they were poking a finger in an eye, to see what would happen. 

I do have an anecdotal incident to relate. We just had a primary election in Ohio. A friend told of her husband, a lifelong, dyed in the wool Republican, standing at the next station at the table, unable to declare “Republican” for the first time in six decades. He finally asked for an Independent ballot.

Greg, my physical therapist, and his wife, are expecting a baby any day now. Nora Grace. As I left today I reminded him to cancel next Friday for Grace, and let me know. “Nora Grace,” he replied. And I said “No. Right now any baby is Grace.”

The last towel is off the borrowed loom, which is returned. By the end of next week I may be weaving towels in colors of the rainbow. Some of you know what that means. Everyone else will find out. I may be less angry then.  I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night, alive as you and me…”

29 comments:

  1. Lots to be angry about..also lots to be joyous about...I prefer to concentrate on the joyous...otherwise I may have to buy a gun.

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  2. Remember, the Wobblies accepted everyone as members regardless of sex and race....no wonder they were thought to be so dangerous!

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  3. People of integrity know how to react to Trump, regardless of party affiliation, it seems to me.

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  4. Rainbow towels would be awesome.

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  5. It is good to hear die hard Republicans are having second thoughts!

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  6. When things get a bit much, I watch the Youtube video showing Paul Robeson singing Joe Hill to the Welsh miners. It always reminds me that there is a lot of goodness in the world

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  7. It thrills me to know you are weaving again!

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  8. You are a generous soul...I have pretty much dumped all of my republican friends. Not one has had a come to JAYSUZ moment.

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  9. It must be frustrating to be living where you do not have much like-minded political or ethical company, but it's good to hear a few people there are recognizing what their casual and careless vote has led to. I wonder if it would be easier on your blood pressure to live in a Democrat state? However, you are needed where you are, I believe . . .

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  10. Your rainbow towels will be lovely. Any day with a rainbow is a good day. Even an otherwise crappy day.

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  11. I've seen some rainbow clothing that I'd like to buy. It's a good symbol.

    Love,
    Janie

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  12. In the Bible the rainbow is God's promise that he won't destroy the earth again by water, but I'm thinking your rainbow towels have a different twist on them. They should be pretty though!

    betty

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  13. I'm not sure what to say to this. At least your friend is comfortable enough to admit to a mistake. I sincerely hope things can be turned around for the better soon although I don't know how.
    Your towels should be very pretty, will we see pictures?

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  14. Hari OM
    A worthwhile breakfast meeting then. Those rainbow towels will glow. YAM xx

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  15. The thing which makes me angry the most is that fact that this impotent anger was caused by ordinary people getting together to change things. Now it seems impossible to un-change them.

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  16. I am heartened by your conversation with your BFF. The Republican party is being decimated by the current administration, the leader of which is not a real Republican. The Dems are busy taking back the country. The Republicans need to get busy taking back their party.

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  17. I've been Democrat, Republican and Independent. I get fed up with them all. I voted for Hillary, but it made me sick to do it. Had the Democrats given us a better alternative this wouldn't have happened. Surely he won't run again. Makes me sick too.

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  18. I chose to see the good; booming economy, hostages released, low unemployment, tax reduction (although it doesn't affect me, but still happy for others), best employment for blacks and latinos in decades, reduction in foods stamps usage, better trade deals being negotiated, rollback of overly restrictive regs, but the increase in homelessness and higher fuel costs do make me mad. I too have been all three parties, I still consider myself an independent cause neither side is perfect or even close to it.

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  19. The definition of "overly restrictive regulations" is certainly subject to discussion. I don't call rules that try to help the environment "overly protective" unless you are talking about "protecting" the pocketbooks of the 1%. Every day it's another jab at all the sensible rules that had been established. Amazing how some people walk around with rose-colored glasses ---and blinders! But try to avoid linking themselves to the current disaster. The chump smiles bigly about cutting programs that help the poor, but does not limit his weekly trips to play golf. He thinks it's better to spend OUR tax dollars for his trips than for those less fortunate. Meanwhile, HIS hotels rake in the money from the diplomats who visit. Absolutely amazing how people believe whatever is convenient. Facts don't matter. And, never mind the joke our country has become to the world. The shining beacon on the hill has become the gutter.



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  20. You all seem to be going through a bad patch but I am sure you will come out the other side. Nothing lasts for ever.

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  21. Donny John was never a dyed in the wool Republican but was able to use the Republican party to reach his goal. I don't understand why the Republican party could not stop him in the primaries. I guess they misread the voters. I favor the Democratic party but would vote for a Republican that stood up against the racist, anti-environmental, anti-poor, and other stupid things that Donny John has done/said.

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  22. I am tired of the drama, too.

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  23. It is heartening to hear that at least one republican has remorse for voting in Trump. I've yet to hear one say that. All of them are in fact making excuses for him and happy as clams he's The Swamp Thing.

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  24. It's certainly reassuring to we political radicals in the UK to know there are Republicans who regret voting for Trump and wish they could reverse their vote. If only he would do something so stunningly idiotic that he's removed from office.

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  25. Joanne, I just finished watching The Crown on Netflix. It was an interesting series. But I also took away something from what Billy Graham told Queen Elizabeth in the show when she couldn't find it within herself to forgive someone. He said that if she couldn't forgive, what she needed to do was "forgive herself for this and then pray for the person she couldn't forgive". I've been trying my hardest to pray for Trump...

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