Ellie Mae

Ellie Mae
Beautiful Ellie Mae

Freddie, the French Bulldog

Freddie, the French Bulldog
Lazing on a sunny afternoon

The artist

The artist
Ollie Mac

Ollie and Annie

Ollie and Annie
Azorean grandmother

Acrylics and watercolors

Acrylics and watercolors
Cannabis and sunflowers

Papa and Ollie Mac

Papa and Ollie Mac
Priorities, Baby

Acrylics and watercolors

Acrylics and watercolors
Hollyhocks

Mahlon Masling Blue

Mahlon Masling Blue
My friend and brother.

Mark's E-mail address

bellspringsmark@gmail.com

Friday, November 25, 2016

No "Them" in My World

No "Them" in My World

I am an optimistic person by nature, preferring to waltz through life wearing rose-colored glasses, until such time as the acrid presence of hatred becomes so malevolently fetid, that I must don a pair of goggles to navigate my path.

There’s a lot of hatred swirling about in this country.

Instead of writing funny stuff, such as “You Can’t Get There From Here,”  http://markyswrite.blogspot.com/2016/08/you-cant-get-there-from-here.html or “The Attack of the Killer Seatbelt”,  http://markyswrite.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-attack-of-killer-seatbelt.html, my last five posts have been about a racist fanatic, who is trying his best to ram a white supremacist agenda down the throats of Americans. 
"The Attack of the Killer Seatbelt"
President Malproddunt, I have news for you: It ain’t going to happen-not this year and not ever. You have appointed a man as your White House Chief Strategist, your closest advisor, who has an acknowledged alternative right political agenda, a white nationalist if you prefer this term over that of white supremacist. 

You have appointed a man as attorney general who thinks groping women by the genitals is not sexual assault, and yet who finds the thirty million Americans who have indulged in cannabis, bad people. This man’s priorities are so irretrievably reversed, I sense a total disconnect with mainstream America, which is what the alt right is.

Now there is Betsy Devos, who is a billionaire with no degree in education, no teaching experience and no experience working in school environment, being appointed Secretary of Education. She has never attended a public school, never put her children into public school and believes public school teachers are overpaid. 

So, what’s not to like, right?

Is this a case of President Malproddunt not doing his homework? Er, actually, it is a case of paying back a crony for donating $9.5 million dollars to his campaign. You scratch the President’s back, and he responds by appointing you to a snazzy spot on his Cabinet of Hate.

Sure, and the list goes on and will continue to lengthen and infuriate those Americans who are preparing for a long fight. Trenches are being dug, battle lines being drawn and schedules are being juggled so that we can gear up for the peaceful protests springing up in every region of the country.

The American Civil Liberties Union has issued a statement regarding some of the President’s more egregious hate proposals; it goes like this:

“These proposals are not only un-American and wrong-headed, they are unlawful and unconstitutional. They violate the First, Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments. If you do not reverse course and instead endeavor to make these campaign promises a reality, you will have to contend with the full firepower of the ACLU at every step. Our staff of litigators and activists in every state, thousands of volunteers, and millions of card-carrying supporters are ready to fight against any encroachment on our cherished freedoms and rights.”

Barry Vogel, a wise man who once guided our small community up here on the mountain, through a morass of hatred, said something once that impacted me greatly, “Anyone can sue anyone at any time; whether or not the lawsuits have merit does not prevent them from being filed.”

President Malproddunt can spew all of the preposterous-hate mongering proposals that he wants, delighting his legion of racist followers, but if they violate any of the five Amendments listed above, they will be shot down in flames.
Hatred personified

Hatred, scorn, malice, contempt and condescension have no place in our President’s world, if he is to represent all the people. We all know Malproddunt fell more than two million votes short of even capturing a majority in the election, and many of the folks who voted for him are beginning to realize just how atrocious their error was.

They sold the rest us down the river on a raft of racism, bigotry and hatred, and now they want to reverse the current of the river. Fine. Get on board our raft, constructed simply of love, tolerance and respect, and start rowing.

What is now a raft must become a destroyer, a destroyer of hatred and intolerance, if we are to take back our country. I am an optimistic person by nature, who has affixed goggles to his face in preparation for what is about to come my way.

I want my rose-colored glasses back because that is what this world is all about: color, diversity, and a cultural melting pot that does not reject any class of ingredients, as long as they are human beings.

When you start by culling out one culture of individuality from the herd, you’d best have the backs of the rest, because eventually they’re going to come after you: in the night, without warning and without provocation, except that you are one of “them.”

There is no “them” in my world-we are all us, and I will fight for each and every one of you, regardless of gender, color, religious affiliation, height, sexual preference, weight, color of eyes, and yes, I will even fight for Dodgers fans.

I will fight for Dodger fans the hardest because it’s simply my way of saying, “Love is the greatest power!”





2 comments:

  1. So powerful, Mark. You need a bigger forum. xoxoxoxox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Like, "If you're "for 'em" you aren't agin 'em?" xoxo

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