The dogs let me sleep late this morning and I enjoyed a long conversation with Kat before taking the dogs out and making coffee. It was an interesting night with two of the cats temporarily escaping, high winds and rain, and more than enough noise to keep a person wide awake. I slept through all of it. Kat slept through everything except the wayward cats making noise as they came back inside. We are both in a position where exhaustion dominates our days. That also means our tolerance for nonsense is pretty much at zero.
When the first headline I see in the morning is, “Man accused of attacking TV reporter, saying ‘This is Trump’s America now’,” it discolors my attitude as I look through the rest of the news. First of all, no, it’s NOT a felon’s America now and it never will be. Second, the attacker told the reporter, who is a Pacific islander, that as a Marine he had taken an oath to “protect America from people like you.” No, no one takes such an oath. The Marine Corps oath is to “protect and uphold the Constitution of the United States.” Attacking someone based on their appearance violates that oath.
Fighting back against bad government, which is what we’re facing, is a matter addressed through court filings and public protests. Countering the blatant stupidity of people who are bent on getting their way is more dangerous. This isn’t like the Civil War where the conflict was organized, North vs. South. This is a perilous situation when, at any point during any day, some idiotic mother fucker is likely to turn a gun on anywhere for any reason.
We are at risk of becoming just as debased as Kenya, Israel, and Afghanistan, especially if the Felon insists on keeping up this stupid conflict with bordering and nearby countries. Empire building is wrong. Forcing your beliefs, religious or political, on other people, especially at risk of violence, is wrong. If we do not stand up loudly and publicly against such crimes, we will die because of them.
As we face the end of this less-than-stellar year, we have to face the fact that 2025 could easily be worse. Hold your loved ones close. Tell people you love them. Never assume that anything you do, anywhere, anytime, is going to be routine. Next year is going to be a battle against some of the most evil philosophies we’ve ever faced. We have to be ready.
The dogs let me sleep late this morning and I enjoyed a long conversation with Kat before taking the dogs out and making coffee. It was an interesting night with two of the cats temporarily escaping, high winds and rain, and more than enough noise to keep a person wide awake. I slept through all of it. Kat slept through everything except the wayward cats making noise as they came back inside. We are both in a position where exhaustion dominates our days. That also means our tolerance for nonsense is pretty much at zero.
When the first headline I see in the morning is, “Man accused of attacking TV reporter, saying ‘This is Trump’s America now’,” it discolors my attitude as I look through the rest of the news. First of all, no, it’s NOT a felon’s America now and it never will be. Second, the attacker told the reporter, who is a Pacific islander, that as a Marine he had taken an oath to “protect America from people like you.” No, no one takes such an oath. The Marine Corps oath is to “protect and uphold the Constitution of the United States.” Attacking someone based on their appearance violates that oath.
I worry that incidents like this could increase in 2025. If January 6 protestors are pardoned, as the felon-in-chief has promised, that will be a signal that all politically motivated crimes could be excused. I’m concerned that we’ll begin seeing more headlines such as “18-year-old arrested after being shot inside Castleton Square Mall,” “‘There is someone with a sword in your parking lot’ | Indy man arrested after allegedly pulling out machete at Family Dollar,” and “Pregnant woman stabbed by pizza delivery driver over $2 tip.” The new administration, whether intentional or not, has emboldened its supporters to use violence as a means of getting their way even in the smallest of confrontations. This puts more people on edge and increases the possibility of the US becoming a nation at war with itself.
Fighting back against bad government, which is what we’re facing, is a matter addressed through court filings and public protests. Countering the blatant stupidity of people who are bent on getting their way is more dangerous. This isn’t like the Civil War where the conflict was organized, North vs. South. This is a perilous situation when, at any point during any day, some idiotic mother fucker is likely to turn a gun on anywhere for any reason.
What kind of company does that put us in? Consider that in Kenya, a country known for its fast athletes, four women were murdered because of their athleticism. We are at risk of becoming just like them. Israeli soldiers burn a hospital in Gaza and the US gives them a pass because “they’re fighting terrorism.” Afghan forces target Pakistan in retaliation for deadly airstrikes.
We are at risk of becoming just as debased as Kenya, Israel, and Afghanistan, especially if the Felon insists on keeping up this stupid conflict with bordering and nearby countries. Empire building is wrong. Forcing your beliefs, religious or political, on other people, especially at risk of violence, is wrong. If we do not stand up loudly and publicly against such crimes, we will die because of them.
There is already enough death just through natural causes. Olivia Hussey, star of the 1968 film ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ dies at 73. Sportscaster Greg Gumbel dies from cancer at age 78. Warren Upton, the oldest living survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, dies at 105. Even Mother Nature is working against us. Climate change added 41 days of dangerous heat around the world and Hurricane-force winds bear down on California, in the latest stretch of extreme weather. We have more than enough ways to die without trying to kill each other.
As we face the end of this less-than-stellar year, we have to face the fact that 2025 could easily be worse. Hold your loved ones close. Tell people you love them. Never assume that anything you do, anywhere, anytime, is going to be routine. Next year is going to be a battle against some of the most evil philosophies we’ve ever faced. We have to be ready.
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