Before It's Too Late

 I was looking at different sources to see how many people read books. By people, I mean teenagers to adults. I was thinking that perhaps there are too many complacent people in the country, ignoring the spreading fascism because they don’t read enough and don’t believe we could have such a thing in the United States. It turns out that the stats haven’t changed too much and that the average person reads at least one book a year.

To me, that’s shockingly low because I’ve been a bookworm all my life. People lead busy lives as adults, though, and many don’t have much time to sit down and read a book. Perhaps kids and adults would prefer to play video games or check out their social media. Maybe instead of wondering how much people read, I should wonder WHAT they are reading. They sure don't seem to be learning a damn thing about history.

The recent news has me shaking my head.

Florida’s governor Death Santis wants bloggers to register with the state if they’re going to write about him. He also wants reporters to not only register but turn over their material after covering one of his appearances. He wants to know the political views of professors at the college level. Now these are chilling ideas for anyone who has bothered to read what was happening in Germany in the early 1930s. This same governor has further restricted a woman’s right to make choices about her own health.  This same governor has made it harder for minorities to vote. This same governor has terrorized school teachers and districts into removing books from their shelves for fear of being charged with a felony. Does this sound like a book burning without the fire? This same governor had a “don’t say gay” law and an “anti-woke” law passed. That’s not even half of what he’s been up to. He’s a truly scary guy.

But where are the protesters? Why aren’t legislators speaking up about it? Understandably (I guess) half of our legislators side with the repressive fascist but why are there crickets from the other side? Why aren’t they speaking out?

When there was no outcry, fascism began spreading like wildfire. States seemed to be competing to see who could come up with the cruelest and most outrageous violation of a person’s rights. Texas and North Carolina would like to sentence a woman to death for having an abortion. And still … crickets?

Do the citizens and legislators choose not to speak up because they think: oh, that’s just crazy stuff? It’ll never happen here.

Oh yes, it could. Our democracy is still in danger. There are still folks who’d like nothing better than to overturn it and bring on authoritarian theocracies. At that point, it’s too late to say, “Hey, we didn’t want this.”

Today is the anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. It took place on March 7, 1965. There was a one-day mention of it on Sunday, but I haven’t seen anything about it since. Is its history too ancient? I’ll bet young people didn’t learn about it in their history classes and maybe it wouldn’t even be legal to teach it in half the states today. White supremacists and christian nationalists want to bring us back to the Jim Crow era or worse. Isn’t there some nut down in FL (where else?) who wants to make the Democratic party illegal?

Recently CPAC held its weekend-long convention in Oxon Hill, Maryland. And Michael Knowle said, “transgenderism must be erased.” Erased. If you erase transgenderism, you’re erasing people. If you erase people, isn’t that just a nice way of saying genocide? After all, the Nazis didn’t start by exterminating Jewish people. They started with “undesirables”. And when no one said anything, then they moved on to the increasingly inhumane treatment of the Jewish population.

There is too much rubbernecking going on. Everyone who disagrees with fascism, Nazism, oppression, suppression, racism, bigotry, and misogyny should be doing something. Boycott. Write letters. March. Sit in. United, peaceful protesting.  The time for that is now, not when it’s too late.

This Is The Twilight Zone

 

I have such a case of sensory overload.

President Biden somehow got into Ukraine, an active war zone, met with President Zelenskyy, and spoke on the anniversary of Russia’s unprovoked invasion. His speech made it pretty clear that the United States stands with and will support Ukraine. Putin will not win this time. This is major because Presidents don’t just go into a war zone where they might be injured or killed. The Ukrainians are amazingly resilient and patriotic, and I’m sure President Biden’s visit gave them a big boost. But Repubs are whining and complaining about it. They’re criticizing President Biden and are openly supporting Putin.

There are traitors running the House of Representatives. On the same day President Biden visited Ukraine, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene began advocating a “divorce” between red and blue states. That’s funny that she uses a word like divorce, where couples either happily go their own way or they fight each other forever. What MJT is talking about is not divorce. It’s succession That is treasonous. But this isn’t the first of her traitorous behavior. She’s one of those who were involved with the January 6^th insurrection. Why else would she have asked tRump for a pardon in his last few days of office?

She is sworn to uphold the Constitution. She’s in violation of that oath. No one is doing anything about it except saying “bad” to say that. Kinzinger and Cheney are the only two Repubs that have openly condemned MJT. MJT isn’t the only traitor. There are over 140 treasonous Representatives and Senators.

Why? Hello? Fourteenth Amendment? You know, the part that says a person who is a traitor can’t serve in Congress?

We’re slowly becoming more lawless, at least among the rich, mighty, and powerful.

MJT and many of her colleagues also espouse that they are christian nationalists. I absolutely insist on calling them christian with a small c because they aren’t Christian. Jimmy Carter is a Christian. He follows New Testament Jesus, who was all about welcoming immigrants, sheltering and feeding the needy, protecting children, and all-inclusive. You know, everything the Repubs are not.

These christian nationalists are dangerous. They want to declare the US a Christian nation, which is something the authors of the Constitution NEVER intended. They want to force their morals and beliefs on us and using violence is just fine with them. They are like a snowball rolling down a hill and picking up more along the way, becoming bigger and crushing. They could destroy our democracy.

Lots of people don’t agree with their mad desire to indoctrinate everyone, penchant for violence, and involvement in crazy conspiracies. The problem is that not enough people are bitching about it or trying to do anything to stop it. I write and write about it and I feel like I’m talking to myself.

You know, if Jesus was here today he’d be called either a socialist or a communist. He was all about telling people to set aside their worldly possessions to follow him. The story about feeding hundreds of people with just a few fish? Isn’t that about socialism, sharing everything with everyone?

Try discussing that idea with a christian nationalist. They’d say you were a blaspheming demon. And, yet, repeatedly, Jesus showed us he was with the poor, the sick, the hungry, the disenfranchised and loving everyone. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” “Let the children come unto me.” “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”  Jesus was woke.

New Testament Jesus would not be welcome in Florida, where “woke comes to die.” He would not be welcome in Texas. Texas and Florida have both been involved in taking advantage of and mistreating immigrants by placing them on planes or buses and shipping them, without warning, to blue states. For various reasons, I don’t think he’d be welcome in any red state.

I don’t believe Jesus would approve of what some of these red states are doing to trans/LGBTQ kids and adults. I don’t believe he would approve of them forcing dishonest history on students.

Each day, I find it harder to look at even my unbiased newsletters because of the increasing stories about fascism and intolerance spreading across this country.

This is what Real Jesus was teaching: Loving God is the greatest commandment. Then, love your neighbor as you love yourself. Would you want to be treated the way Blacks, Asians, trans/LGBTQ and immigrants are being treated now in some of these states? Hell, no, you wouldn’t. You would want to be treated with respect, decency, and kindness. That’s what we’re supposed to do. Half the country isn’t doing that.

So, what is the solution? I will keep posting even if I’m just talking to myself. I will vote. I will volunteer to make calls. I will find organizations to join. I’m most interested in Rev. Barber’s.

But everyone needs to be doing these things. Too many of us are just complacent and so fascism continues to spread.

I was listening to songs from the Viet Nam era and this one really hit me today. It’s the same thing, 50+ years later.

Eve Of Destruction 

Two Good Men

 

These are two honorable men in the news right now.

Former President Jimmy Carter is 98 and has had some health issues. The Jimmy Carter Foundation announced yesterday that he is entering hospice care and prefers to live out his days at home with family. There won’t be any more hospitalizations. I love Jimmy Carter and so I’m sad, even though he’s had a full life.

Jimmy Carter is the embodiment of what it means to be a Christian. He is a kind, loving man who helped broker peace during his presidency and afterward. He and his wife Rosalyn both volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. The organization builds homes alongside low-income people who want to buy a house but can’t afford it. He and Rosalyn both were actively involved in home building into their nineties. One of my favorite pictures of Carter was after he’d taken a fall (in his nineties) and still showed up to work, black eye, and all.

Even though he had some successes as President, he’s mainly seen as ineffective. I believe it’s because he wouldn’t play Washington politics. Members of Congress didn’t like that and so it was difficult for him to get his agenda passed.  I think he wasn’t effective because he was too much a Christian and unwilling to get into the dirt with political players.  The hostage crisis in Iran was the straw that broke the camel’s back, in my opinion. He made an attempt to rescue the hostages, but the plan blew up with helicopters that crashed. He was really bashed for that.

I remember the fallout when he admitted to a reporter that yes, even though a devout Christian and happily married, he’d still “lusted in his heart.” How the critics went bonkers over that. I remember thinking, what’s the big deal? We are all human. I’m sure we all have “lusted” in our hearts over someone or something. So what? You’d have thought he’d said something catastrophic.

Compare that to the behavior of today’s “christian” nationalists. They lie, cheat, threaten, bully, and promote violence. I don’t know who they think they’re following but it sure isn’t New Testament Jesus. NT Jesus was all about feeding & caring for the poor, sick, and homeless. He was all about protecting children. He was all about inclusion, welcoming and sheltering immigrants. These “christian” nationalists seem to be all about neglect, oppression, suppression, discrimination, and corruption. They cater to the 1% of the population who are very rich and powerful.

Jimmy Carter is one of my heroes.  I am sorry to lose him because there are so few heroes left these days.  I am very proud that my first vote in a presidential race went to Jimmy Carter. I am glad I was at the inauguration and saw Jimmy Carter, hand in hand with Rosalyn, walking down the street to the Capitol instead of riding in a limousine. I never met Jimmy Carter, but I am grateful he’s been a part of my life. God bless Jimmy Carter.

Speaking of how few heroes there are out there, I also wanted to acknowledge Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman. I don’t know much about him other than the fact he had such a fun, colorful campaign last year despite suffering a stroke. Recently, he checked himself into Walter Reed Hospital on the advice of his physician. He is suffering from severe depression. He is a hero because of his courage in acknowledging his depression and need for treatment.

Depression is still stigmatizing. I have had low lying depression since my teen years. It used to be called dysthymia but now is called MDD. When I began to seek treatment back in the 1970s, I kept it all secret. There was (still is) a lot of misunderstanding about depression. In those days it seemed to mean “crazy”. I don’t know if anyone remembers Sen. Thomas Eagleton or former Gov. Mike Dukakis but both suffered depressive episodes. And when that became public, their political careers tanked.

When I was working as a unit secretary in the mid-1970s, I’d become friends with my bosses. One of them noticed my upper eyelids drooped. It was a side effect of the anti-depressant I was taking. I took her into my confidence and explained. I’ll never forget the look of horror she gave me. It was like she thought I was contagious. She said, “I don’t want to know about it!”

I didn’t confide in anyone else, not for years. It wasn’t until a psychiatrist explained that it was a biological problem, not a problem of character or behavior. My brain wasn’t producing enough serotonin, dopamine, or epinephrine and so even on my “good days” my mood wouldn’t match those of others whose brains did make enough of those feel-good hormones. I didn’t have to feel ashamed and hide my dark secret.

I am also not alone. There are so many of us with depression. Some are open about it and others are not. There’s still misunderstanding, and a stigma attached to depression.

John Fetterman is a hero because he chose to do what was best for his health and not be secretive about it. By being open about his depression, we can be educated further about what it is, the different types, symptoms, and treatments. People who have depression but are suffering in silence might feel encouraged to seek help.

I can say what untreated depression feels like: imagine being down a deep, dark well with slippery sides. You can get a purchase to try and climb out of the well, but you can look up and see the sun shining. But the sunshine doesn’t bring any light into that dark well. There’s no way out. It’s all hopeless. Self-harm thoughts are intrusive.

I have a cocktail of medications I take to boost all those hormones lacking in my brain. I haven’t been down that well in years. I will have to take these meds forever in order to stay out of the well.

If that ends up being the case for Senator Fetterman, so what? It doesn’t make him weak-willed or lacking in character.  He’s one of the good guys. We should all support him and wish him well. I think he can serve our country well. Good on you, Senator Fetterman!

Jesus Ads and Fusion Politics

Last night, I read an article about Jesus coming to the Super Bowl in commercials saying or showing “He gets us.”  I have very mixed feelings about it.  I’ve seen photos that go with the “He gets us” ads and they do seem to represent New Testament Jesus. That Jesus supported poor and disenfranchised people. People claiming to be christian nationalists and right-wing evangelicals don’t seem to follow NT Jesus’ teachings.

These commercials show a loving Jesus, all-inclusive. He is for feeding and caring for those in need, sheltering the homeless, and protecting the children. That’s my Jesus. So why am I uncomfortable with this?

The ads are placed by a group called The Signatry. However, David Green, a co-founder of Hobby Lobby, came forward and said he was helping pay for the commercials and billboard ads. It set a red flag in my mind. Hobby Lobby petitioned the SupremeCourt because they didn’t want to pay for contraception for women. It violated their christian beliefs that contraception was a form of abortion. They won, and so their female employees can’t get coverage for any usual method of birth control.

Hm, thought I, is that kind of control something Jesus would have endorsed? I don’t think so.

And so, I’m not sure I trust these ads. The Signatry is going big with these ads, and there are more to come. I wonder if it’s on the up-and-up and not some ploy to sucker people into a more sinister christian position that won’t show up until later.

I’ll wait and see.

I’ve been more interested in Rev. William J. Barber II and “fusion” politics. I hadn’t heard of him before and his words intrigued me. I began reading about him. Fusion politics isn’t about red vs. blue, conservatism vs. liberalism. The idea is to bring together the poor, the lower-working white middle class, immigrants, people of color, people of different religions, and the LGBTQ community. Why? Because with all these groups working together, there’s a better chance of putting enough pressure on politicians to get the right things done to serve everyone.

He says christian nationalism promotes a kind of heresy. That’s because of all the cruel and untrue stances those people take. I agree with him on that. Christian nationalists don’t follow New Testament Jesus. Everything they say and do is anti-Christian.

I remember that in Matthew, Jesus confronted the disciples one day about how they’d rejected him. They were all upset at that and asked when? How? And his answer was that he’d come to the door, homeless, and they didn’t take him in. He needed clothes to wear, and they ignored him. He was sick and in prison, and no one came to visit him. Again the disciples were upset and asked when did we do that to you?

Jesus’ answer was any time you did this to anyone else, you did it to me.

That’s what the christian nationals are forgetting. So, when they cut benefits to the needy, make it harder for people to exercise their right to vote, and take away fundamental rights from people, they are doing those things to the Jesus they claim they love.

I like Rev. Barber’s message. I’ve been listening to him via YouTube and reading up more about fusion politics. I am hoping to locate a way to connect with the programs he supports. The next thing I'm doing is reading his book, We Are Called To Be A Movement. I get a hopeful feeling thinking about his message and desire to form a coalition of under-represented people who are suffering from oppression, suppression, or flat-out neglect.