Friday the Thirteenth: Day of Fear

In preparation for my self-imposed deadline to blog almost every day, I have been building a back-log of blogs, quotes, and poems to share with you, but events are happening as quickly as a world at war. I know it seems that the world is always at war, or at least that there is a war somewhere in the world demanding our attention. These are troubling times. It turns out, all times are troubling.

It is easy to be discouraged by the daily news. The news feels like an onslaught upon our senses and emotions. National Guard and Marines in Los Angeles. ICE looking for hardened criminals among the pickers in blueberry fields. Crazy conspiracy theories and even crazier lies presented as the truth as if saying it out loud makes it so. Threats to deploy thousands of troops onto American streets. Out and out, obvious attacks on freedom of speech. Donald Trump himself saying, “We're not King.”

I know my stress levels are growing exponentially in every day of the Trump administration as they push the boundaries of presidential power beyond what the Constitution allows. Yet I have very little power to do anything about it. I know most of you feel the same way.

It is with this in mind that Diane and I have decided to do something neither of us has done in half a century. We are going out tomorrow to join the No Kings protest. If nothing else, we will stand up and be counted in the fight against the totalitarian takeover of our country. The late Senator from Arkansas, J. William Fulbright, encouraged us to stand up when he said, “In a democracy, dissent is an act of faith.”

 

Breaking Silence

 

I begin with a quote:

“We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.” -----Edward R. Murrow

I have an admission to make. I am afraid. I am afraid to speak out. I am a liberal in Montana, a rare breed up here but not as rare as you might think. But I see so much anger and defensiveness around me—on both sides—that I want to follow my Daoist teachings and choose the path of least resistance. That means, being quiet. It does not mean being silent. Silence can become the fodder for dictators. And fear is the fodder for silence. Fear and indifference.

I find myself in an interesting position on the political spectrum. I have always considered myself a bleeding heart liberal. What I really am is a concerned citizen desperate to help my fellow citizens find their way through the quagmire that is everyday life, with an eye toward the future our offspring will inherit. Progress is inevitable. We always move forward. You can't stop it. What you can do is try to make sure that progress is not irrational or self-serving, and at the same time make sure that the push back against progress is thoughtful and not irrational or self-serving.

It's a big ask. Most of us have very little power to influence anyone or anything, at least on our own. But you are not on your own. Like me, you have a voice, even if you are afraid to use it.

President Donald Trump is busy pushing against anyone who has an opposing viewpoint on anything and everything he wants to accomplish. He thinks he knows what's best for us, and has the God-given right to make it so, and no one should object.

I object. I object as loudly as I can.

I end with another quote:

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” -----Theodore Roosevelt

Flag Day (the Blog is Back)

 

I'm back! I found my old blog and have decided to start again. I have dusted off the cobwebs, stretched out my fingers, and climbed out of my temporary paralysis to once again talk about the things that matter to me, whether the world notices or not.

I begin with a reminder. Be kind. It seems simple enough, but the world of Man is filled with unkindness. America under Trump, in particular, has become obsessed with rejecting kindness altogether. I see nothing Christian in that. Just as I see nothing democratic in ignoring the slender but profound document upon which the United States were founded.

Name calling goes nowhere. You may think I am naïve, while I might think you're bull-headed, but saying either out loud immediately shuts the door on useful exchange. Unfortunately, rational discussion with reasoned arguments no longer seems to work, either, but it is far better than the alternatives.

And yet, as I write these words the President of the United States has declared protests to be an insurrection after having stated the January 6 insurrection to be a peaceful protest. He is working hard to suspend the safeguards provided in the Constitution in order to make an enemy of anyone who disagrees with him. He is entrenching his power and no one seems able to stop him.

On Saturday there will be a massive parade in Washington replete with tanks and missiles in a saber-rattling, North Korean or Russian-style show of strength that “happens” to fall on Donald Trump's birthday. It is also Flag Day. I will fly my flag, in honor of all the things this government is setting about to destroy.

So I return to speak out. My audience is small, but I have to say my piece. I have to join those who came before me to warn. Fascism is real. As George Orwell and others have said, when you see soldiers goose stepping down your street, it's too late.

Democracy Under Attack

 I am watching on live TV the disaster that confronts American democracy.  Even Mitch McConnell spoke against the efforts of fellow Congressmen to undermine the general election, reminding everyone that the election was not even close and there has been absolutely no credible evidence of voter fraud aside from isolated incidents.  While Congress debated, a mob has infiltrated the Congressional building and is threatening violence, incited by the sitting President.  The National Guard has been called in.  It looks like a frelling third world dictatorship in Washington right now and all I can say or think is, I am so deeply embarrassed for America today.  Shame on all those who have spread hate and lies and crazy conspiracy theories.  Shame on those who believe them.  And deep, deep shame on those who think the actions I am seeing right in front of me are in any way democrat ic.  I believe in freedom of speech and the right to peaceful assembly, but what I am seeing play out in front of me is on the edge of insurrection.  It would make a Stalin proud, but it makes me shudder.

A Gentle Poem For the End of a Brutal Year

 

Driving Home at 6 am, December 30, 2020 

I turn a corner slowly,

Watching out for deer.

My headlight catches

The speed limit sign,

Twenty-five, and I smile-----

I am alive!

It is the end of another year

And the rollcall of the famous dead

Tumbles through my brain

And I rejoice:

I am alive!

Snowflakes tumble slowly downward

Bound to gravity,

Bound to the earth,

And I rejoice:

Walking now toward my front door

As if I were in a snowglobe

Freshly shaken.

The Book Brag Blog

 

I finally have both Infrequent Flier and Avalanche of Bones finished to the point where I can let them go out into the world without me helecoptering over them. Please enjoy! Infrequent Flier is a collection of stories from my life and the lives of some of my fondest heroes, including one fictional one, Doctor Who. Avalanche of Bones is a shorter collection in terms of pages, with three sets of poems divided by a section of fictional and one of factual stories. I have spent a lifetime collecting these stories and reflections, intending to create many, many books but never quite having enough time for long projects. Instead, it occurred to me that each “book” would make an interesting “chapter” and perhaps a better way to tell the story. As always, I invite the reader to dig deeper into anything that sparks their interest. I have two mantras by which I choose to live: stay curious and, as The Doctor prescribes, “Above all, be kind.”

Cap'n Jack and Holiday Cheer

 

I love the holidays. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. The decorations, the anticipation, all those lights against the Dark, snow on the ground (just enough to be decorative, no shovelling required). The joy of giving, the excitement of receiving . . .

It begins with a slow rumble through October, then picks up steam from Halloween through Thanksgiving while our granddaughter happily changes the stick-ems on our windows. Then Advent comes, the real countdown begins, the tree goes up, the presents get wrapped and hidden until Christmas Eve. Then comes our traditional Christmas dinner, Chinese take-out from the Asian Buffet, and hours playing for all that new stuff while waiting for 7 pm. and, since 2005, the Doctor Who Christmas Special.

Chris Chibnall, newest showrunner for The Doctor, for whatever reason moved the Special to New Year's Day. That's okay, as long as it happens. In fact, with all the hope for the future we are investing into 2021, it seems fitting to start off with a new visit from the first female Doctor in the show's long and fabled history and her wonderful trio of companions including Graham, a man around my age who always gets it done.

But wait, there's more!

Few two word phrases in the English language, after “Doctor Who,” of course, elicit as much excitement in me as “Cap'n Jack.” This comes from learning about Calico Jack Rackham, fabled pirate captain and Anne Bonny's lover. I believe Captain Jack Sparrow of Disney fame was inspired by Calico Jack, even if the caricatrure was based on the mannerisms of Keith Richards and self-assurance of Pepe le Pew. Ultimately, though, it is Captain Jack Harkness, who first appeared in the initial season of the Doctor Who reboot, then was the lead character in Torchwood while making several visits to the Whoniverse, that brings me thrills. As played by John Barrowman, he is one of the outstanding characters of the 21^st Century. Chris Chibnall cut his teeth as showrunner for Torchwood. He knows the irreverant, bi-sexual, impossible to kill Jack Harkness. And now, on New Year's Day, Jack is back!

Today is the third Sunday of Advent. Santa comes by in eleven days and Chinese food in twelve. Captain Jack shows up in 19, and I'm counting down.