KNEES, HURRICANES, COPS, BOMBS, AND ME

                                                                  

 

 

The following is an effort to diffuse my constant and pervasive anger at the current state of our government and the exponential rise of hatred and ignorance.  The following are current but not necessarily in order of importance:

1. “Taking a knee” -- I have zero interest in football.  I think the country values it way too much and players are absurdly overpaid.  Among their ranks are spouse, animal, alcohol and drug abusers.  Some are decent people who have had some ability and lucky breaks.  Many give back to the society that has been good to them.  Are they not entitled to express their opinions?  Because they are being paid?  They are NOT being paid to salute the flag or stand during the National Anthem.  They are being played to play football.  Which makes a lot of money for a lot of people.  Seems to me that a LOT of celebrities express their opinions about a lot of things.  Sometimes when they are getting paid, also at other times.  Wearing a pin, or a ribbon, is expressing your opinions.  Making a speech while getting an award is expressing an opinion for something you get paid to do.  There’s only objection when you don’t agree with the cause.
2. As per #1 above, it is absolutely true that legally people of color get the short straw.  Not all, but many, cops assume they are thugs.  Or look like thugs.  Or look like they have guns.  It is absolutely true that people of color are fearful of being stopped by the police.  Those who deny this say, “they shouldn’t commit crimes” or “they shouldn’t run” or “they shouldn’t carry guns”.  Funny how that’s only said about people of color.  Last I heard, white people are all about the right to carry, everywhere and anywhere.  What about innocent until proven guilty?  When a cop kills a “suspect” isn’t he the judge and jury?  And lastly, people run when they’re scared.
3. Hurricane victims:  Our “president” (I will use the quotes and small p until he proves he is worthy of respect) has just hit a new low by accusing the people of Puerto Rico of not helping themselves.  This is after he tells the world what a good job our country is doing in helping them.  This is before he has seen with his own eyes the devastation of an island that is part of our country.  And after saying it was hard to help them because the ocean is “very big”.  He played golf while Puerto Ricans (who are Americans, and include children, old and disabled people, by the way) were waking up each day to heat, darkness, no food or water.  The “Jones Act’ prohibited shipping adequate supplies (until it was temporarily suspended) and commercial goods were held hostage at the ports until they were ordered by the Governor to be released.  This is a disaster of previously unknown proportion, affecting OUR citizens.  There has been a meme circulating asking “where was Obama during Katrina?  Playing golf!”  This is not so funny (you do know he wasn’t President then, right?) when you see our current president doing exactly that.
4. Racism:  NEVER FORGET!!  There is nothing amusing or entertaining about old Nazis (unless you’re Mel Brooks) or Neo-Nazis.  White supremacy in all its forms (racism, anti-Semitism, etc) is completely intolerable and unacceptable.  A “world leader” who doesn’t see that or clearly say that is also intolerable. 
5. North Korea:  All I can see is I’d prefer not to leave this life in a nuclear war.  I’d prefer not to see Hiroshima/Nagasaki in my lifetime.  I’d prefer not to see world leaders with access to earth destroying weapons yelling at each other like playground bullies. 
6. Morality:  The man in the White House has a trail behind him of immoral acts—infidelity, sexual abuse, corporate greed and bankruptcy, abuse of employees and other examples of dishonesty and indecency.  I read all the explanations, but I still don’t understand why people voted for him or still support him. 

   
   

   In summary, politically things are as bad as they have been for a long, long, time.  Is it bad enough so enough Americans will see the need for change?  I know we’re getting tired of comparisons to Hitler’s Germany, but hey, it is what it is.  The Germans, including the Jews, fooled themselves as long as they could.  Many died never seeing the light.  For me, I can’t blind myself to what is right in front of my face.  For everyone else—you might want to open your eyes.