Move On
Many thanks to Michele Linfante’s thoughtful, sensitive and sane contribution (Open Mic, Jan. 11). Her reference to “We Were Made for These Times” by Clarissa Pinkola Estés is powerfully poetic prose and an inspiring read.
To the conservatives who write in to say “Suck it up and move on” (Rochelle Torre and Chris Sholes): Do you understand how thoroughly we have all been conned? A recent Huffington Post piece by Robert Weissman makes this crystal clear: “Nothing more plainly shows Trump’s complete cynicism and dishonesty than his absolute betrayal of the core claim of his campaign—to rid Washington of corruption, cronyism and insider dealing. The corporate interests who he properly alleged in the campaign buy politicians will now themselves be directly in charge of the government.”
This is nothing to “move on” to, especially in an America that has not truly been a functioning democracy since the Supreme Court “elected” George W. Bush in 2000.
Yes, it can and did happen here. We must wake up and resist it—together. Acting red/blue; liberal/conservative; black/white; rural working class/elite intellectual; Beatles/Stones are distractions that help them oppress us. We cannot afford to fall for it.
Via Bohemian.com
Indecent
“Have you no decency, sir?” That statement was made by attorney Joseph Welch after Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin attempted to impugn the character and patriotism of a junior lawyer during the 1950s. Fed up with McCarthy’s deceitful lies and bluster, Welch’s statement ended a contentious hearing and hastened the end of McCarthy’s political career and a dark period in our history, where fiction overrode fact.
And now we have another man,
Donald J. Trump, shouting and tweeting mistruths of events that did not happen, statements he never made, and character assassinations of individuals and institutions (the latest being his despicable attack on Congressman John Lewis of Georgia).
It is incumbent on our statesmen (who are too few to be found these days) and politicians (who are too numerous to be found), Democrats and Republicans, to not only distance themselves from such crass distortions but to question their elected leader and to hold him accountable for words and policies that represent and guide our nation.
Mr. Trump stated he would like to knock the heads of some people (i.e., political opponents, the print media, artists, etc.), who have spoken “disrespectfully” toward him. Fair enough. If he wants to “take off the gloves,” as he has said, maybe it’s time for the fourth estate to do the same, to do their work—to do what they are paid to do: ask the hard questions; dig deeper; separate fact from fiction; and refuse to go away or be blown off by boorish behavior. And no less should be expected of our citizenry. It our responsibility to the democratic ideals of our country, for if we don’t rise to this challenge, we will have to face one another, eye to eye, and look within ourselves and ask, “Have we no decency?”
Santa Rosa
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