My Nation

My nation has entered upon difficult days.
Dark and dangerous times.

Two competing visions of America.
One, generous and kind, mindful of people, not the dollars.

Determined to help everyone find the American Dream.
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Fully understanding:
We're all in this together.

Because all of us owe a huge debt to one another.
A debt paid without question or regret.

The other, of course, all about the dollars.
Government on the cheap.

With a mission to further feather the pockets of the mega-rich.
While telling everyone else to take a hike.

Or, worse,
"Improve yourselves and get your own money."

Somehow or other believing the money taken by the mega-rich,
Will trickle on down to the rest of us.

Which it never does.
Because once it's gone into the money machine of the rich.

It's gone.
Gone forever.

Taken from us.
US ... you and me.

Who made this money, in the first place.
With sweat of brow and brawn and brain.

Two visions.
And the contest is on.

We've seen it play out before.
In the fateful days leading up to Sumter.

Gettysburg and Shiloh.
Bull Run and Chickamauga.

And out of the smoke and blood.
Other such seasons, as these two recurring visions lock horns.

Hoover and the Great Depression.
Busted banks that went too far.

And then FDR.
Out of the blue, so to speak.

A man of polio.
Who knew what it was to depend upon others.

FDR. Who wasn't perfect.

Understood this America of mine.

So did Eisenhower.
And even Nixon.

But the GOP has, as of late, gone mad.
I mean, really, thoroughly, deplorably, mad.

There is no kindness left in its ranks.
Bitterness and bigotry have consumed its soul.

Racism and misogyny.
War and power.

A disgust with the poor.
And love of money.

Led by a madman.
A Russian puppet?

Who knows what scurrilous elements comprise this closet.
What shenanigans hide beneath that mop of hair.

So, where are we?
For now, bad times.

As the GOP flexes its muscles.
To deconstruct FDR's America.

And create Amerika anew.
A feudal society.

A few haves.
And the rest, have-nots.

This, too, will run its course.
But not before damage has been done.

Real damage.
That may take years to repair.

And some damage, permanent.
Beyond the failsafe point.

Two visions now test America's soul.
I stand with FDR on this one.

An America for all.
An America ... for all.

Republicans Have a Chance

For 8 years, Republicans have screamed at the top of their lungs that given half a chance, they'll make America great again.

Well, they have a chance, and so far, it's been a first-class mess.

Transitions are always marked by some confusion, but this transition takes the cake because the current office holder believed that the scrawl of his pen would change the world and everyone would cheer.

Perhaps it works that way on the top floor of the Trump Tower, but not in government.

I have long suspected, and history backs me up on this, that Republicans are unable to govern ... given power, which America has a need to do now and then, they always end up the same way: more for the rich and less for everyone else.

This is not a governing philosophy, and, for me, flies in the face of my Christian Faith.

As for the faith, I've been at it awhile ... with all the requisite work of prayer, study and consultations.

So, I'm comfortable with where I am, as opposed to offering opinions on the status of Pluto or the latest in Hip Hop.

Getting back to the Republicans: the depths of confusion and scandal show no signs of letting up, and plenty of signs that it's going to worsen.

This is what money does. And it seems that the Republicans are all about money, their money and my money, too - i.e., taking my money and giving it away to the mega-rich.

The Republicans hold to a philosophy destined to ruin this nation (it's happened before); a philosophy that cannot govern, but only plunder.

My America

My America.
America, kind and generous.
Wise and wonderful.

From sea to shining sea.
Yes, more than our share of shit.
More than our share of sin.

But My America.
Something profoundly good in our DNA.
A nation of kindly people.

My America.
Dustbowl and Depression.
Immigrants and migrants.

People on the move.
Some said: Not here.
But others said, Welcome.

My America.
Boat people and refugees.
Charities and Churches.

Today, I celebrate My America.
A good nation.
A welcoming place.

No matter what, I will not forget.
My America.
Land of the free, home of the brave.

The Rot Is Growing

RW writers are trying to make the case that much of the hatred and bigotry erupting across America was present during O's admin, but ignored by the media, "the enemy of the people."

Look, let's be honest: America has a lot of sickness in its soul. We're not pristine, we're not pure as the driven snow, more like the muck on a Detroit street in Mid-January ...

Sure, junk happened during O's term, but the media didn't ignore it.

What's changed is the tone of the day.

We now have in the highest office of the land a man of tawdry character who loves to bait the weak-minded, encourage their wantonness, while making wild promises of peace and prosperity.

And it's not just him; it's the whole damn GOP enterprise with its misogyny, bigotry, racism, christian nationalism, and states' rights.

Within the ranks of the GOP, a lot of crazies, a lot of angry people who fear the stranger, who can't stand other languages and other cultures, who are suffering financially because of the GOP, but are not bright enough, I fear, to see all the GOP lies being told to them.

Like it or not, Conservatives, your friend in the Whitehouse has upped the volume of hate ... has given permission to the crazies to beat LGBTQ persons, desecrate Jewish Cemeteries, burn Mosques, and ramp up racist language.

From the get-go, it's been nothing but lies and deceptions from the GOP, and in such an environment, and with such a tone, the rot increases exponentially, like mildew in a dirty sock drawer.

President Obama spoke up about all of this ... and signed executive orders and sought legislation to protect people and build up our society.

But not so the man currently in the office - whatever's been said by him, per his speech-writers, has been said half-heartedly, without conviction, and without any commitment to protecting people, other than the already-rich.

The rot is growing now, thanks to the man who sits behind the Oval Office Desk.