For several nights now, I have attempted to write a letter. A few sentences have dribbled out onto the digital page and then I abandon my effort, feeling unsatisfied, bereft of words. And hit delete.
When I spoke to my brother this morning, as we do most days, he, too, finds it difficult to think about, talk about or read about anything political. He, too, feels bereft of thought and words.
Here I am in my cottage, Christmas bunting still glistening in the lights of my trees, the playlist, “Classical for Deep Thought” playing on my Echo. And I am in deep thought.
A close relative of mine who voted for Trump has been forwarding me vicious articles on Hillary Clinton and the Obamas. Going online, I seek to find out if there is any truth to these awful stories. Most of it is balderdash concocted out of a single thread of reality. “Unproven” is what Snopes says.
There seems no point in letting my relative know that it mostly or all balderdash. They don’t want to know. This is their truth.
So, it is that for the last few nights, I have hidden out in the cottage where all things are good, listening to music, watching Netflix [just finished “Medici”]. I have been working on my consulting assignment for the Miller Center for the Presidency [oh, irony!] at the University of Virginia and diverting myself with helping some friends in California on the bible for a fictional series on which they are working. It allows me to live another life.
Glancing at the evening headlines, I winced. Republicans are working to defund Planned Parenthood. Trump rebuts our spy agencies and doesn’t quite accept that Russia hacked us. Certainly, not to help him.
And, oh my! Putin’s popularity among Republicans is rising! Why am I so not happy about that?
The Chinese are telling Trump to stop tweeting and that will probably only cause him to tweet more.
Trump has said that “torture works.” Now that he is President Elect, human rights groups around the world are fearful that his remarks will embolden leaders who find torture a very reasonable way of getting their way.
It is just a discouraging world.
Republicans have been determined to unravel Obamacare since it was initiated. They now will probably get their way. My concern is that I haven’t seen any credible alternatives from them and, whatever you think of the flawed system that is the Affordable Care Act [aka Obamacare], there are far fewer uninsured than there have been.
Which also doesn’t much change the reality that while we spend more per capita on health care we are in the middle of pack in terms of health care results.
Look, Donald Trump is the President Elect. I wish him well.
I am so concerned. This Presidency feels as if it is going to upend the order we have come to accept for at least the last eighty years. And that makes me concerned.
If it goes really bad, I hope my youthful activism will return and I will do my best to protest. And I didn’t think at my age I would be asked for my youthful activism to return but it just might have to!
We will all have to see. The roller coaster is leaving the station.
At least I have broken out of the paralysis of the last few days and written something.
We all care. God bless America. And God help us all.
Tags: Christmas, Claverack, Claverack Cottage, Claverack Creek, Donald Trump, General, Hillary Clinton, Media, Obamacare, Politics, Presidency, Putin, Repbulcans, Snopes, The Donald, The Obamas, Trump
Letter from the Vineyard 
January 6, 2017 at 2:28 pm |
Prayers for all of us in a difficult time especially those of us who are the most vulnerable, the working poor, the LGBT community, the indigent, the homeless, the elderly, the hungry, the mentally ill, the mentally deficient, the children, the immigrants both legal and illegal, the ill and the dying. In this new world we face all of us are going to have to step up and help in what ever way we can to try to keep some semblance of kindness and compassion in our communities and our country. Like you I am very sad and have been avoiding any political articles and “the news” which comes out with one more preposterous thing each time you look. I am sad, upset and angry all at the same time but my resolve is to do what ever I can. I am not a good candidate for large demonstrations but I can help feed hungry people, listen to those who are hurting and in general send prayers and compassion to all the “victims” of this cruel joke.
January 6, 2017 at 3:09 pm |
It is all too true that we must stand ready to keep compassion in the country, starting with our communities.