Me Too

Me too. 

Now what?  It’s appalling how many times I’ve seen that phrase in the last couple of days. What’s going to happen?  What’s going to change?  I have my suspicions, and they aren’t optimistic. 

We have a culture in which abuses and injustices are eagerly rationalized by the huddled masses, all while we are willing coconspirators in preserving the myth of an equitable nation. We  “the form of [liberty] without the power thereof,” to paraphrase a biblical concept. We are so desperate to hang on to the illusion of freedom, that we ostracize anyone who tries to reveal the smoke and mirrors. 

We are compelled to give up our freedom of speech to worship a flag. We conspire against and vilify anyone who dares to kneel and say, “me too .”

We scream in outrage that a white nurse is manhandled by the police, then accept lame excuses when we see it happen to black men, women, and children. Dead men can’t say, “me too.”  

We insist we honor our military, but with $600 billion dollars, we can’t find any money to rescue them—broken, jobless, and homeless—from our streets, as if they are expendable.  After we’re done using them up, who is hearing “me too” from them?

We, the immigrants, argue viciously about who else is welcome in these stolen lands without even thinking about consulting the native people.  Have they not been saying for hundreds of years, respect “me too?”

Are we not all saying the same thing?  Me too!  See me, too. Believe me, too. Value me, too. We must all work together to fully realize the America dream first envisioned by the signers of the Declaration of Independence. If we ever want to see a great America, and bring to fruition the ideals of freedom and justice for ALL, each one must work to give others the exact same liberties that we, ourselves, yearn for. We have to do it together. Make no mistake; we are in a war, and we have a powerful battle cry.

I see you. 
I believe you. 
I value you. 

Do you want clean water or poison?

It's really very simple.  Do you want clean water or not?

Unrestrained Capitalism = poisoned water (and unsafe working conditions, and child labor, and filthy air, and shall I go on?)

Democratic Socialism = regulations which help prevent companies from endangering their communities.

Any questions?  No?  So, is it ok if we use a little socialism to clean this mess up?  Maybe we could use a little socialism to get Flint some clean water, too, while we're at it?

#Socialismisnotadirtyword
#itsjustcommonsense

What to know about toxic Wolverine dump sites and drinking water

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2017/10/wolverines_toxic_legacy.html

From Now On

After all is said and done, I wish to thank every single one of the alt-right, neo-Nazi, white supremacist, terrorists of Charlottesville and your supporters. No, really. I thank you. You have laid bare for all the world the foul, rotting, rancid, tumorous, excrement-filled, racist underbelly of America with such efficiency it is completely unnecessary anymore to debate whether it exists. Thank you for showing us the violent true selves of the Nazis masquerading as teachers, employers, politicians, financiers, students, bankers--white men from many walks of life. Never again will any decent, reasonable person have to waste breath proving that there are willing, people eagerly carrying on with the oppressive work of the Jim Crow era. From now on, it is entirely clear that anyone willing to argue the matter is either blind and deaf, stupid, insane, or evil. 

Thank you for demonstrating so clearly.  Yes, in America, white men can protect themselves in riot gear, make an armed advance on citizens and police officers, beat and kill human beings, and walk away, alive and without consequences. Thank you for leaving no doubt whatsoever, that in this great country, where Native Americans are set upon with violence for protecting their own land, and black citizens are killed in the street because police officers are afraid of the shape of their noses, white men can get away anything their evil minds can imagine. From now on, it is entirely clear that anyone willing to argue the matter is either blind and deaf, stupid, insane, or evil. 

Thank you for exposing, with absolute clarity how 62,979,879 betrayed voters are now drowning in the very swamp they wanted to destroy. Kudos on showing us with certainty the values of the unhinged, bigoted, racist, xenophobic fascist currently installed in the White House and where his allegiances lie. Again. There's little room for doubt where priorities lie for any man who more quickly disavowed critics of your crimes than, you the criminals. From now on, it is entirely clear that anyone willing to argue the matter is either blind and deaf, stupid, insane, or evil. 

Photo:  Katina Parker
Durham, NC residents attempting to confess
for the crime of removing Confederate monuments

Thank you for being poster children for cowardly white privilege and fragility. With a million essays, I could never have proven the case as eloquently as you have done. Never would I have dreamed it would be so easy to make mainstream America realize the ridiculousness of glorifying those traitorous losers of history who were willing to destroy a country in exchange for the privilege of keeping other human beings in bondage. Congratulations. Truly.  You have now accomplished what I feared impossible so thoroughly, discussion is no longer even necessary.  From now on, it is entirely clear that anyone willing to argue the matter is either blind and deaf, stupid, insane, or evil. Are you catching on yet?  There’s really only one right side to be on here.  One.  Right.  Side.  And you are not on it. 

See, here's the thing. The "alt-left, that far "left" group of people you fear and hate so much? Surprise!  We are the center. The middle. The bullseye.  The very heart of America. Here is where all the decent, truly patriotic Americans live. We outnumber you, and now we are awake. Thanks to you. 

I'm With Elie

We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.
Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. 

~Elie Wiesel

There's an awful lot of people taking to social media with the "Can't we all just get along" frame of mind.  No.  No we can not.  No, I can not just wait and see what he's going to do and give him a chance.  He had a campaign to show me what he was about, and I'm not impressed.  I can not just embrace the ridiculousness that is passing for an incoming presidential administration.  Stop asking me to.  Stop implying it's the noisy people creating the problems.  We are the ones making sure all y'all don't start thinking this crap is normal.  Personally, I think Elie Wiesel is a damn good example, so I'm just going to stick with him.