Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh

I once had a restraining order brought against me back in the late eighties, by a person of questionable mental status. To my utter shock, the judge in Ukiah granted the request, making it mutually inclusive. Afterwards, my friend Kat categorized the action as Winnie the Pooh having a restraining order brought against him. 

Self-portrait,"What just happened?"

Now, a whole lot of dudes might cringe at the thought of being compared to Winnie, but I say, “If the shoe fits, lace that bitch up and wear it like a G.” The reality is that I can’t hurt so much as a dog, let alone a person, so that limits my ability to function efficiently on the front lines of what we have fought so hard to achieve: basic human rights for all. 

With the morally repugnant trump in control of appointments to his Cabinet of Hate, the American people are being barraged by a systematic attempt to reintroduce old habits into the norm: degrade people of color, bring back the homophobic witch-hunt and get those coat hangers back out of their rusty perch, in the attics and basements of ‘Merica.

You’re gonna need ‘em, again.

Like millions of disillusioned voters, I saw someone assume the role of President-Elect, after having lost the popular vote by 2.45 million votes. Putting this into terms that I can understand, the number of people who surpassed the majority would be like filling and emptying AT&T Park, fifty-nine-and-a-half times.

We collectively suffered the indignity of having our election compromised by a long-standing opponent, one whose actions are seemingly endorsed by trump. During my lifetime the Rosenbergs were executed for consorting with Russia. Now the President-Elect does the same thing, and we are supposed to be OK with that?

After admiring trump’s predecessor for the past eight years, I-like millions of others-cannot and will not back up the truck. 

Close Obamacare? I don’t think so.

Slash Medicare? Not on my watch.

Crush Social Security, after borrowing billions, and immorally refusing to pay it back? Not going to happen.

Abolish Planned Parenthood, the way you tried to in 2013? Just try it.

Continue to squeeze the life out of the poor and elderly, while amassing wheelbarrows of hundred dollar bills? Fighting an uphill battle here, but not giving up.

Rex Tillerson-Am I shocked?
No, appalled, yes; shocked, no.

[Editor’s note: “Rambling” alert]

While zip-lining down from lofty heights from my soapbox, pontificating upon the evils of the 4th Reich, I have plowed head-on into a twenty-foot-thick concrete abutment: the human element of all this political upheaval. I have not fared well.

In point of fact, I have been flattened by the impact. Having taken it upon myself to “step up my game,” when it comes to backing up my beliefs, by unfriending people who post memes praising or supporting trump, I have found that accomplishing this is as easy as actually making it through that 20-ft-thick wall. 

For others, no problem, but not for Winnie the Pooh. I tried the blustery, I-be-bad approach, only to find out that instead of anger, I incurred sadness and disbelief. Folks were taken aback that anyone could allow politics to destroy long-standing friendships.

Act-Tung, Chucko! Not my circus, not my ring of expertise. I am in the love-conquers-hate, every-day-of-the-week, and twice-on-Sundays-club. Lifelong member. 

As such, I cannot stand up to my convictions, when confronted with the dilemma of what to do when ideologies clash with long-standing friendships, especially when said friends have no more control over what is happening in Washington, than I.

We are not talking about an isolated instance or even two. Three times within 24 hours, I had that soapbox yanked out from underneath me without warning, by friends who showed me through words and actions, that I would have to stop swinging recklessly while the game is on the line. 

The problem with tough love or a hard-nosed approach, is coming face-to-face with that human element. After winching myself back onto my feet after the third time, I decided to reassess my stance.

I ripped a neighbor for his pro-trump comment on a post, and the dude turned around a week later, and messaged me publicly, that if I needed help getting out of the snow for Gluten-Free-Mama’s appointment in Sacramento, Wednesday, he would drive his Tacoma-Can-Go-Anywhere over and personally get us out of there.

How was I supposed to feel after that?

Twice more, long-standing dear friends came under attack by Winnie, who obviously was flapping his finger-tips in a vain attempt to crow louder than trump supporters. Right battle-wrong opponents. Move on and get thee to Sacramento, on January 21st, where we will stand in solidarity, instead of squabbling amongst the rest of us.

“We” are not the enemy-stagnant wealth, for the sake of wealth-plus greed-are the enemies. We are only that which gets in the way.

However, like that 20-foot-thick wall, you have to get through us first, which is where solidarity comes in. Join in and fight together, and leave the individual sparring to those better suited to it.

That would not include Winnie the Pooh.