People like the man in the picture above, ones who
crop up every so often, ones who make a difference, give me new hope.
The past 100+ days have tested my faith in people.
"I didn't see this coming," said Kamala Harris on the Steven Colbert show,
What was it she didn't see?
“Ca·pit·u·la·tion,” she said.
• The action of surrendering or ceasing to resist an opponent or demand: "A capitulation to wage demands"
The people caved in.
I didn't see it either. I thought the people would be outraged to see someone they trusted tear down human rights and freedom we have enjoyed and is the framework of our country. I believed in the greatness of the American people, still do, but there are a significant number of those who oppose the things for which we have held in high regard. (Or else, because our system hasn't been perfect, they are willing to see it fall.)
I said I would pull back on discussing politics. Now I wonder, if we don't express our distaste for what is happening, is that letting the liar, cheat, rapist, demagogue, narcissist, and general sociopath get a free pass? He blames his opponents and threatens citizens who dare criticize him. Folks, does that sound like someone we want as President?
He de-funds Universities, for heaven's sake—are we going to allow the end of academic freedom?
That would signal a dying civilization.
Now he is after the Olympics. And he makes numerous assaults on his opponents, saying they have a low IQ. I don't care how high your IQ is; if you don't feed that beautiful brain of yours with good stuff, you will come out one evil smart-alecky creep.
I am repeating myself here, but I learned a lot about democracy from Barbara Kingsolver's book The Poisonwood Bible, particularly when she wrote about the governments' attempts (In the 1950's and 1960's) to introduce democracy into the Congo.
The Congolese people got the idea that it was a government by the people and that people voted for whom or whatever they wanted. The trouble was they rushed to a vote before any discussion or consensus, as is expected of a jury.
The wise elder of the village said, "When a country is divided 49-51, half the country is mad all the time."
Their democracy didn't work.
De-funding Public Broadcasting? Forcing companies to fire comedians? Deporting Immigrants? Threatening to take citizenship away from citizens born in this country? And then expect me to play nice and not talk about politics?
When donkeys fly.
My lesson was this: go ahead and comment, have your ideas, share, but keep a glad heart. Don't let yourself jump off the deep end. Once a friend and I went to see Patch Adams in Eugene, OR. He was the doctor who formed the "Gesundheit Institute." Robin Williams played him in the movie Patch Adams.
It was a small gathering, and Adams told my friend Betty she could sit on his lap. I asked him how he managed to maintain joy in the face of misery. He said, "That's when I need it the most."
He didn't tell me how, but I understood his TRY.
I went to the Chiropractor today because I sprained my back. As he gently relieved my muscles, he told me he had taken a trip to London and Paris since our last visit. He said when he first stepped onto a street in France, a moped raced past. The driver had a white scarf waving in the wind, and on the back of the bike, there was a bag with a baguette poking out. Picture perfect. He couldn't believe it.
He was surprised at how friendly the French people were; someone would come up to him, gently ask a question, and end by saying: "You are not that much different from us." That young man was being a goodwill ambassador for the U.S.
Way to go.
