I hesitate
to use the word depressed. In my late
seventies the reality is that I have years not decades to live; and I refuse to
let outside circumstances beyond my control distract me from the beauty of the
natural world around me. But, the election
of Donald Trump is really a downer.
Up until now
I have felt upbeat. I have seen the advances
of the Civil Rights movement, integration, open-minded sexuality, gay rights, an
open discourse of religious ignorance, a black man elected President, a woman
running for President, and yes marijuana legalization.
The rabid
religious miasma coming from the middle-east I could write off as mankind behaving
as usual; but at least it seemed here in this country we were experiencing a reawakening.
Now the
yin has been canceled out by the yang.
The human
race, I have no doubt, will continue to develop innovations in technology that
will be impressive; but the human animal itself will continue to remain, as it
has always been: steeped in religious bigotry, warlike and ignorance.
There have
always been liberals that have pushed the envelope and always been
conservatives who lit the fires to the burning stakes.
In my last years, I hate to see the death of
the our small renaissance, and our world moving backwards into the Dark Ages to accommodate the haters,
the bigots and the uninformed.
I am some
disappointed
the Ol’Buzzard
It's easy to feel depressed when you see the Yam in Human Form preparing to slather gold paint on everything in the White House, but the country has actually experienced worse. Not often, it's true, but there have been other disastrous, corrupt administrations. We all knew that bigots and other assholes still existed, that misogynists abounded, that homophobes were still common, etc. What the recent election did was wake us up to the fact that there are more of them around then any of us liked to admit. Nonetheless, they're a minority within the country as a whole.
ReplyDeleteThings really are a lot better now than they were 50 years ago. We're better as a people and as a society. I saw an openly gay man win on "Wheel of Fortune" last night. He and his partner were doing the happy dance on national television. Can you imagine that happening even 10 years ago? Trump and his ilk may try to roll back progress (and they will succeed in some areas) but they're not going to be around long.
Supreme Court appointments by Donald Trump will effect personal freedoms for decades to come. It is not just four years and we move on.
DeleteO'B
This is exactly why this "trying" time is different, and the root of my lingering "disappointment". This period is going to be a slaughter, such as none we've ever experienced. I'm not confident that we are going to recover.
DeleteYou see the glass half full, I see it half empty because I saw "the haters, the bigots & the uninformed" on both sides to that last election.
ReplyDeleteI remember reminding myself that the Republic would survive four years of Clinton, it turned out to be eight years. Then the same thought when Bush & the oil boys took over. I remember thinking there might be change when Obama was elected.
Did the republic survive Clinton? I'm not sure right now.
But I'm sure that nothing major changed when Obama & the Chicago machine politics took over from Bush & the oil cartel.
I do know there has been plenty of minor stuff (distractions) to argue about over the last 16 years while the major dollar flow did not change directions.
FWIW I wouldn't be too sure about not counting decades left.
Medicare and Social Security are at risk with a Republican mandate - not to mention health care.
DeleteO'B
Henry David Thoreau wrote "Read not the times; read the eternities." This too shall pass and hopefully all shall be well again.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThe Dude: Yeah, well. The Dude abides.
The Stranger: The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh. I sure hope he makes the finals.
Agree
DeleteO'B