Well written as always. However, as I read this great post I realized that Biden's accomplishments fit into 1 paragraph, albeit an important paragraph that has far-reaching positive effects for many people. The negative in our country takes up many many many paragraphs. So, where do I begin. To give the setting, I was much less tv news than previously because it is depressing and scary and aggravating. I told myself I would limit new to when I'm eating a meal. Since I lice alone, the news anchors and their analysts and pundits are like having company with me at the kitchen table. And, yes, I choose channels that are real news channels, MSNBC and CNN, though while some might say they lean to the left, they do have guests, including government officials, from the right. So, both sides are heard. Unlike state tv; and we all know what channel that is. However, even watching my preferred channels, and only during meals, I am still getting overwhelmed with the brokenness in our world. Today, for example, the lead story is Tyre Nichols. While I want to know the news, it is so very depressing that we are again hearing about a traffic stop gone bad resulting in a black man being murdered. How can this still be happening in our country ??????? And DeSantis doesn't want high school students to be able to take AP African American History. Why????? Perhaps if he let young people understand history, history wouldn't repeat itself. It is scary that he thinks banning this course is a winning issue in FL. I would like to know more about the FL voters. Lincoln abolished slavery; but that didn't end mistreatment of Black people. Are FL voters still of the mindset that existed in the 1950's, when my family had to live there for 1 year when the company my Dad worked for had him on an engineering assignment down there. I saw the Woolworth stores with the separate lunch counters and the separate bathrooms. That was 70 years ago. I had hoped we had progressed in our values since then. Of course, it turns my stomach to watch any news about the current US House of Rep and its pathetic leader, who has no values and no moral compass and no backbone and his only goal was winning the Speaker title. He clearly had no idea what to do with it. So, of course, he turns to the former president, and to the MAGA representatives, the gang he had to appease to finally win the speakership. MTG on oversight committee. My worst nightmare. Adam Schiff and Eric Swallwell did nothing wrong. Yet they are off the Intelligence Committee; and the Speaker says it wasn't a political decision. Really !!! No one believes that. And the person from NY3 goes running wild in the people's house. Why??? Because he will vote the GOP line. The GOP isn't even pretending to care by bringing an ethics investigation. Not that an ethics investigation would do much beyond a slap on the wrist. Because the Speaker needs that GOP vote. What happened to honesty !!! What happened to values !!! They think the way to go is to cut SSA and Medicare and impose a 30% sales tax. And that would help whom ??????? Wow, this is not a good way to go into the weekend. Yes, a weekend, another week has gone by and the DOJ has still failed to act. Couldn't do anything when 2022 midterms were approaching. And now the excuse is ..... Wait a little longer AG Garland and you can use the excuse that the country is gearing up for the 2024 presidential election. This is all so awful. However, I also recognize that today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. That period in world history was really really really awful. Nothing can compare to that. However, our country is certainly making current times bad in their own unique way. Thank you to this group for letting me vent. It is your support that keeps me feeling a little bit positive that things might get better some day.
Steven, your words keep me harkening back to times in our world’s history when existing and “budding “ fascists were just ignored or sneered at by the average educated citizen until it was too late to stop their momentum. My question to you is how does one get the population that wants to keep their democracy strong to open their mouths and unleash their pens to remind their friends, families and public of what’s at stake and how to defend it?
Thank You, Steven, for laying out the spectrum of pros and cons going on in our country. One thing that may happen, given DeSantis's restriction on books and multi-cultural history classes, is that students may WANT to read the banned books and take those 'no no' classes! I'm quite excited about this prospect! Knowledge is Power. Kids: Read and Rebel! Thanks Again, Lisa
Shorter version, it's already too late. Had Ole Milquetoast Merrick not waited for two years and counting (meanwhile January has slipped away) to bring orangehead to justice the recovery from madness could be well underway. As it is now we may never recover.
Republicans in the House are definitely the “chaos makers”.
Well written as always. However, as I read this great post I realized that Biden's accomplishments fit into 1 paragraph, albeit an important paragraph that has far-reaching positive effects for many people. The negative in our country takes up many many many paragraphs. So, where do I begin. To give the setting, I was much less tv news than previously because it is depressing and scary and aggravating. I told myself I would limit new to when I'm eating a meal. Since I lice alone, the news anchors and their analysts and pundits are like having company with me at the kitchen table. And, yes, I choose channels that are real news channels, MSNBC and CNN, though while some might say they lean to the left, they do have guests, including government officials, from the right. So, both sides are heard. Unlike state tv; and we all know what channel that is. However, even watching my preferred channels, and only during meals, I am still getting overwhelmed with the brokenness in our world. Today, for example, the lead story is Tyre Nichols. While I want to know the news, it is so very depressing that we are again hearing about a traffic stop gone bad resulting in a black man being murdered. How can this still be happening in our country ??????? And DeSantis doesn't want high school students to be able to take AP African American History. Why????? Perhaps if he let young people understand history, history wouldn't repeat itself. It is scary that he thinks banning this course is a winning issue in FL. I would like to know more about the FL voters. Lincoln abolished slavery; but that didn't end mistreatment of Black people. Are FL voters still of the mindset that existed in the 1950's, when my family had to live there for 1 year when the company my Dad worked for had him on an engineering assignment down there. I saw the Woolworth stores with the separate lunch counters and the separate bathrooms. That was 70 years ago. I had hoped we had progressed in our values since then. Of course, it turns my stomach to watch any news about the current US House of Rep and its pathetic leader, who has no values and no moral compass and no backbone and his only goal was winning the Speaker title. He clearly had no idea what to do with it. So, of course, he turns to the former president, and to the MAGA representatives, the gang he had to appease to finally win the speakership. MTG on oversight committee. My worst nightmare. Adam Schiff and Eric Swallwell did nothing wrong. Yet they are off the Intelligence Committee; and the Speaker says it wasn't a political decision. Really !!! No one believes that. And the person from NY3 goes running wild in the people's house. Why??? Because he will vote the GOP line. The GOP isn't even pretending to care by bringing an ethics investigation. Not that an ethics investigation would do much beyond a slap on the wrist. Because the Speaker needs that GOP vote. What happened to honesty !!! What happened to values !!! They think the way to go is to cut SSA and Medicare and impose a 30% sales tax. And that would help whom ??????? Wow, this is not a good way to go into the weekend. Yes, a weekend, another week has gone by and the DOJ has still failed to act. Couldn't do anything when 2022 midterms were approaching. And now the excuse is ..... Wait a little longer AG Garland and you can use the excuse that the country is gearing up for the 2024 presidential election. This is all so awful. However, I also recognize that today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. That period in world history was really really really awful. Nothing can compare to that. However, our country is certainly making current times bad in their own unique way. Thank you to this group for letting me vent. It is your support that keeps me feeling a little bit positive that things might get better some day.
Steven, your words keep me harkening back to times in our world’s history when existing and “budding “ fascists were just ignored or sneered at by the average educated citizen until it was too late to stop their momentum. My question to you is how does one get the population that wants to keep their democracy strong to open their mouths and unleash their pens to remind their friends, families and public of what’s at stake and how to defend it?
Thank You, Steven, for laying out the spectrum of pros and cons going on in our country. One thing that may happen, given DeSantis's restriction on books and multi-cultural history classes, is that students may WANT to read the banned books and take those 'no no' classes! I'm quite excited about this prospect! Knowledge is Power. Kids: Read and Rebel! Thanks Again, Lisa
Shorter version, it's already too late. Had Ole Milquetoast Merrick not waited for two years and counting (meanwhile January has slipped away) to bring orangehead to justice the recovery from madness could be well underway. As it is now we may never recover.