I know how this plays out. Remember Trafficant? That man's chicanery was repeating a lie often enough for a few to believe. A demagogue. Even in prison he carried his persona. America did not crumble.
We accept holstered men. We accept gay activities. Women's political strength expands. People of all color are taking responsibilities for our common good. People are good. People are kind.
America will not crumble. Neither will America return to good old days. There is little good about days directed by bad laws and bad men and women.
People should do as they please, within the law. Stockpile guns. Shoot targets to smithereens. Hurt someone with that gun and spend the rest of your days in prison.
I started this post yesterday, thinking about all the comments from you filtered through the grey brain of an old lady who remains a tree hugger. Then a group of buddies in Michigan decided their "militia" could start a revolution by that tried and true method of kidnapping the state's governor.
And you know what happened. They fought the law and the law won.
So here we are, in another reinvention, boosted by Covid and the need for new thinking. This one is a biggie. Not only must we outwit Covid, we must address this country's great underclass. And those are not the "militias" that grow up occasionally and feel they can reform the nation by taking over a national area, or a governor.
The underclass is the other ninety plus percent of us,
We all know the end of the underclass is equal opportunity. Equal access to medicine, to education, to housing. There is enough money in this country to rebuild third world countries and feed and vaccinate the world's children. Spend that money at home, too.
Spend that money at home to provide the education that produces teachers, doctors, mechanics, thinkers, producers who work and live in adequate surroundings. Money at work to this end provides more than more money. It provides a better world to live in.
It's eleven this morning, and I'm past my best thinking time of the day. Fortunately the best tool I have left is my ability to type my little message. I believe we, on the whole, are committed to the continual reinvention for the common good that is this country.
Be kind. No more political talk from me until after the election. Oh, by the way, absentee ballots in my county are delayed.
Remember to have a plan to have your vote counted.
I'm worried about my ballot getting here. I had never paid much attention before now. Things seem so out of control right now, but I'm hoping that we can get the train back on the rails.
ReplyDeleteI am going to personally hand my completed ballot to the county auditor today. If I may echo you, PLEASE VOTE.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up Traficant. It's hard enough just to follow Illinois bad politicians. From Wikipedia on Traficant - one of only a handful of individuals in the history of the United States to run for a federal office from prison.
ReplyDeleteI do so often wonder how in the world we'll recover the ground that was so slowly and painfully gained for minorities, for women, health care, for the LBGTQ community, for so much. I know that the balance will swing back. It always does. Will we live to see any of it? I hope so but I'm not especially counting on it.
ReplyDeleteYikes on the absentee ballot delay!
ReplyDeleteRobert and I have our ballot ready to be delivered. There's a ballot box going to be set up in front of the Library. I'm thinking that will be good enough. It's close by and it's official. I've scanned the front of my ballot and will scan Robert's so we can track the location of our ballots until election day. I too am done with politics for this year. It feels good to release that stress point. Blessings to you ...
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDeleteOur local elections are underway at the moment. Our politicians (of every flavour) are making it easy to vote. In person, absentee or by mail. Early voting is encouraged to ensure that voters are safe.
And yes, my focus remains on supporting the underclass (who are also the majority of people). Supporting them to have food, shelter, education and health available to them.
Love the picture.
ReplyDeleteYes, Kay's and our ballots arrived yesterday, and we five voted immediately. She wrote about it before I did. :)
I couldn't believe that group of good ol' boys actually thought they could get away with that kidnapping.
If only the USA had the actual political will to create an equitable economic, social and justice system.
ReplyDeleteHere in the U.K. there tends to be a polling station within walking distance or a short drive from everyone's home. It is possible to vote by post but most still vote in person. The polling stations are usually in local schools or village halls. Are there not as many polling stations in the U.S. ?
ReplyDeleteWe don't have any elections in the near future. There are always stations set up within a close range of home, and opportunities set up for advanced polling as well. I tend to vote at advanced polls by habit.
ReplyDeleteHolding breath and hoping for you.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't we all be like New Zealand and make voting easy...not on a Thursday and disrupting schools like here, but in your local library..and other such places...the idea being to get as many to vote as possible
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteIt does my head in, wondering when anarchy will truly emerge... but then I think enough folk are sufficiently apathetic to have no idea how to anar or chy... and I cry.
Then again, tears are ever at the ready these days. Am at the bottom of kettle. Cares will start to settle next week, I pray. Luv ya. YAM xx
I wrote a fairly similar post today. Fingers crossed for all of you south of us. Toronto has it's own peril in the shape of a 45 look-alike. The Covid is out of control there due to economy first thinking. 45, Boris Johnson (UK) and Doug Ford (premier of Ontario) look alike and behave alike, orange headed toddler with dead eyes.
ReplyDeleteIt is terrifying what these men do.
XO
WWW
There's THREE of them?? Seems we have been visited by aliens after all (*~*)
DeleteYay, Joanne! I agree with you! I have a friend who grew up in Michigan text me that protest signs are not allowed at the capital because it might scratch the paint, but you can bring a gun or rifle in because it's held close to the body. We are living in a crazy time. And I agree about the 90% of the underserved people in our country.
ReplyDeleteToday, I had to go to a laundromat. I had two comforters that needed washing. It cost me $4.50 to do that. I brought them home and have them hanging, but it would have cost me at least another dollar to dry them. And I could stop thinking about that while I waited. I do two loads of laundry per week for my husband and I. What if I were a mother with two children? No washer and dryer. Scrambling to keep a roof over head and food on the table...and I just felt sad that something so common as clean laundry might be out of reach for some who struggle.
ReplyDeleteLove your words and your message, Joanne. You are pretty awesome. Take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your words and thoughts. It seems there is so much that could be done to make a difference yet it never gets done. I am uneasy about the election either way it turns out. I don't like the undercurrent of rumblings I keep hearing about what the "good ole' boys" plan to do if Trump loses. Yes, be kind! I will vote in person on election day no matter how long I have to stand in line!
ReplyDeleteI read that Amazon doesn’t pay taxes. Unbelievable. No wonder that guy is the wealthiest man in the world. He must pay his fair share. And the rest of the one percent.
ReplyDeleteI do not share your optimism that the country can or will recover.
ReplyDeleteAZ started early voting. The wait on day one was two hours. Two hours standing out in 100 degrees is fairly uncomfortable, but people did it. As are most Arizonans we're on the permanent early voting list. We got our ballots today, they're out in the garage, letting the Covid die off, and we'll fill them out tomorrow and drive them to a human to be accepted. Former VP Biden simply has to win, or there won't be much left of us as a nation. My anxiety levels are fairly high.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how we can outwit the virus. Everything science is telling us to do doesn't seem to be working well.
ReplyDeletebetty
I've been directing what spare $ I have to our local food pantry. Hunger is here now, all the time. So while I'm pushing everyone out to vote and helped get the legislation that made voting easier in NJ, still hungry people can't wait. So we can do both. Reform longterm, and help immediately.
ReplyDeleteWe are better than the society sociopaths have developed around us....but voting is not enough. No party is interested in us except as votes to justify their power and policies. We need to seize power locally over education, health care, environment...and that will mean breaking the law.
ReplyDeleteRemember Joe Hill...organise.
I do hope America survives and gets even better than it ever was, but the fact that we can contemplate the alternative is enough to chill me.
ReplyDeleteWell said. Some people make a big issue over very little differences.
ReplyDeleteIf only...if only...
ReplyDeleteI hope we live long enough to see this happen, or at least see some of it happen.
Your zinnia looks beautiful. My zinnia seedlings have been eaten by snails, there are only two left of the two dozen that germinated :(
Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI do hope that that the election goes smoothly and you're able to vote without any problems.
ReplyDeleteI have a plan. I should have ordered my mail in ballot and taken it to the election office like Marc did. but I decided to vote in person during early voting but after about 5 days have passed to avoid the rush. hope I didn't make a bad plan. I can always just check to see if there is a line and if so how long.
ReplyDeletedid you see the pictures of those men? besides being almost clones they all had the same look in their eyes.
You look at them and wonder which is the demagogue. Or, did they not rat him out.
DeleteI'm not sure there are really any "good old days". Those past days have good and bad and happy and insane times. I am planning to vote early. Hopefully I won't be standing in a long line with unmasked people.
ReplyDeleteJoanne, This is so beautifully written that I am almost in tears at what we are in danger of losing. Every citizen has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but that gets impossibly difficult if you are ill-housed, ill-fed, badly educated, in poor health. We must take care of and cherish our people, all of them.
ReplyDeleteAmerica is going to reset.
ReplyDeleteOh dear Jo Ann. I am so worried. My ballot has been cast. I fear de Tocqueville's writing about the U.S. has come true. It has changed. I hope you are right. Hugs.
ReplyDelete