Month: February 2016
Echoes of Truth despite Reflections of Wild Boars
Every time I allow my ever ready for adventure ChiPoo to escape the confines of home, her first action as she races into the outside world, is to release an impressive, ear piercing announcement of her taking the field, at breakneck speed right to the edge of her outer boundary — no electric fence nor wall is necessary to maintain her power over the lay-of-the-land, for it is her presumed, raison d’être.
Regardless of race, creed, gender or talent, Oscar like awards are subjectively dealt out over lifetimes. Though, admittedly, more often, it’s Hearts with a ravenous Queen of Spades, than a winning hand from MSNBC for Melissa Harris-Perry.
The deck, too stacked in Wall Street board rooms by bankers producing sequels to, The Big Short — too small to prevail, they stuff 99% of humanity into, the envelope please in the out-sourcing Room.
Until the Oscars of life are awarded to those who run the race like Jesse Owens, the ever increasing global danger is our failure to imagine beyond the hyperbole of self-serving politicians — some with ambitions as destructive as an Olympically defeated master race dictator like Karl Rove’s puppeteer.
Most often life isn’t an Oscar winning film, especially when we choose choices like Cruz’s Garden of Eden, and the lowest hanging fruits of justice: senators refusing to consider replacing a deceased Supreme Court Justice who preached once its original ink dried, the Constitution died.
Despite our Founding Father’s lack of crystal ball expertise and inability to anticipate a Bridge of Spies between the FBI, Apple and Hillary, Franklin nonetheless suggested the possibility that, those who give up their liberty for more security neither deserve liberty nor security.
Unlike The Martian, there is no bringing us home to greatness, unless we are a nation forever progressing forward. On Oscar Sunday, decisions, limited only by lack of diversity, are announced amidst tears, laughter, applause, speeches, regret and the politics of blackout boycott.
On Super Tuesday, decisions, limited only by the will of the people to demand greater value for their vote, will be announced amidst jeers & cheers, speeches of concession and for those herded and huddled by PACs for regression, the politics of hate.
In 2016, We the People are contesting via a personification of our built-up resentment, a coronation and a Mad Max escapee from the arrogance asylum. So which will it be for us January 20, 2017…
- Revenge on the We Built That gang
- Decades old recipient of constant onslaught from every side, now potentially FBI investigated, dynasty, next
- Huffing and puffing bore salivating over under-minding our exceptional law of the land: The Golden Rule
This election, though not a feel good movie, is based on the truth and lies we tell ourselves, when the lights are low – produced by Corporatism, directed by partisans and starring those who vote and those who avoid the Spotlight, of civic responsibility.
Nevertheless, The Revenant self within is beckoned by the peace that comes from surviving the American saga – now recognizing right from wrong, justice and injustice, equality and discrimination, economic opportunity and income disparity. Can’t we see the dishonesty in those who shout volumes of vagueness, provoking violence among those most vulnerable to the fear and frustration that accompanies, feeling being passed over, forgotten or ignored?
To the degree we are mesmerized by the least our political system has to offer, we echo 1930’s Germany, in 2016 politics behind the politics of a ratings crazed Media, rented lobbyists bribing career politicians and ranting Demagogues.
Until we stop fearing progress, oil slicked money changers will remain the greatest terror threat to our environment, rainbow and melting pot.
HERos — Headlined on OpEdNews.com Mon 2/22/16
Harper Lee, like Boo, almost always out of sight, but rarely out of mind, put human faces on our strengths and weaknesses, but only fleetingly altered them. Nonetheless, she remains, my HERo.
Amidst the crescendo of election nomination campaigning accelerating like earth’s temperature, with un-statesman like personal attacks and hoarse rants surmounted only by passionate desperation — I long for the poetry of justice and the prose of unbiased civility, waiting teary eyed for the past due recognition of all of America’s Harper Lees – the half who were denied the vote, land ownership and, in divorce, a credit card in their own name.
So hello young lovers whoever you are: Maybe we should give former Secretary of State Madeline Albright a break for her hellish reference, as her journey through unjust gender imbalance, exceeds your years of student loan debt.
Despite the lives of Molly Pitcher & Margaret Corbin, Los Angeles’s property owner and philanthropist Biddy Bridget Mason, Congresswomen Jeannette Rankin & Tammy Duckworth, Suffragettes Alice Paul, Anna Julia Cooper, Ida B. Wells-Barnett — and of course, Amelia Earhart, Susan B. Anthony, Eleanor Roosevelt, Marian Anderson, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou and Harper Lee – women still occupy too few pages in American history books – however many have writ large, casting a giant shadow of protective courage, sacrifice and patriotism to shade the Millennial path to prosperous equity.
Women like Abigail Adams, Air Force Lt Col Margaret K. Hamberger, Army SPC Jessica Y. Sarandrea, Master Chief Petty Officer Jackey Smith, Admiral Michelle Howard, Army Sergeant Latianna Wilson, first female Silver Star for combat heroism recipient, Leigh Ann Hester, Army CPL Jessica Ann Ellis, Rachel Maddow, Senator Elizabeth Warren, most decorated Army Col Ruby Grace Bradley and Anita Hill have paved our path to the ballot box with, blood, sweat and tears.
America’s female half has always contributed tremendously to the development, independence, security and survival of our American nation — standing their ground beside, or instead of, men – living the American experience of gut wrenching gender, as well as economic, disparity.
I’ve seen the movie and listened to the audio book of To Kill a Mockingbird, many times – but now, it’s too soon, too sad, too tragic to bear so much honesty crying out from the wilderness of our political, geographical, racial, and historical charades.
Without Google, or Apple, aiding and abetting, how many of us can identify a photograph of current female members of Congress or mayors policing the police, or challenging lead water supplying Governors? Do we know how many women serve on the now eight-member Supreme Court? Can we spell their names? Pick them out of a lineup?
Can we even yet discern female points of light nationally, globally, even galactically, with pen, sword and vision; serving in home kitchens, as House Reps, committed to country on and off the battlefield — in the Senate, municipalities, State Houses, Courts, carpools, PTAs and Family rooms?
Gay or straight, Liberal or Conservative, rich or poor, of every belief, faith and tradition, from every tribe, community and skin color, the lives of women have taught us the truth of duty, honor and family — yet still they are denied Constitutional equality.
In this presidential election year of extremes, I dare to hope all will discover within them, the courage of women, and protect the privilege of voting from reactionary anger, fearful frustration, national fog of war, and the male tendency toward oversimplified Open Carry solutions to our global challenges.
Even before religion was resurrected as a tool of Conservative politicians to rewrite history and compromise science, women of all faiths, social-economic levels and political, racial and sexual persuasions were ignored, cast as second class citizens, even abused.
In honor of our HERos who have honored us, let’s now live, act and vote to honor our better half.
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