Jeff—Saturday
Last night, while subliminally trying to process in my
dreams all that’s happening in the United States these days, an epiphany came
to me; one comforting in the historical perspective it offered on all that’s so
plainly wrong-headed in our government these days.
It came via the image of my brother, Ken, who passed away
far too young. A remarkable man, whose
image I carry with me—and here’s the important part—always seeing him at the
age at which he left us. As he did in life, he brought solace to my here and
now. Perhaps he will for you too.
For many, the wrenching shocks to our system—gutted
healthcare, denigrated science and technology, an assailed environment, ignored
societal responsibilities, belittled gender equivalency and respect, eviscerated
voting rights, faux taxation evenhandedness, institutionalized conflicts of
interest, compromised foreign policy, etcetera, all seem far too much to bear.
But the world will change, and our priorities with it, and
things will return to balance. Most
importantly, history will judge—harshly and unbiased—based upon the facts
before it when it does.
In that knowledge I find my comfort.
Our leaders seem possessed by an unbridled drive to
eradicate all evidence of the prior administration’s legislative
existence. In choosing that path, they
now face a decidedly clear historical consequence. History will not be able to tell whether the
prior administration’s well intentioned efforts would have succeeded or
failed. All that history will record is
that those efforts were immediately renounced by the new administration, and
whatever happens next, is all on the shoulders of the new guys.
In other words, a new Camelot has been created, one that will
have the past administration living on in the memory of its grand intentions,
while its destroyers will be judged on the consequences of their ravages.
Time will tell…the truth.
—Jeff
Posts
All words wise and good. It doesn't exactly ease the living of it, but it does offer hope of a better perspective. Hopefully the world will survive to enjoy the view.
ReplyDeleteIt will, and recognizably too, as long as those of good faith remain vigilant.
DeleteI'm counting on that balance, the wheel continuing to turn. It's hard to watch, though,
ReplyDeleteAnd to sleep. :)
DeleteSo interesting that this is where our minds seem to be going, my brother. I recently got out my copy of The Once and Future King to reread. Mordred will have his day . But Arthur remains a hero forever. Arthurian legend still lives.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it interesting, Sis, how even in digital times, ancient legends still serve their purpose! And not just as the framework for video games. :)
DeleteThank you Jeffrey for writing this. Much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Mimi. It's a perspective I think helps.
ReplyDeleteOK, so thanks for the opperchancity to tell the second oldest joke in the world. Who was the first knight of the round table? Sir Cumference of course.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am no way saying that your government is a joke - I mean, look at ours....
But the human spirit endures all this, good sense will triumph, sooner rather than later I hope.
Interesting that in our local elections, there was a huge swing towards the conservative party ( unheard of in Scotland). Not because of their right wing Tory policies, but maybe because their real name is the Conserative and Unionist party....
guess it should come as no surprise that in politics the answer to "What's in a name?" is "a lot." For example, how do you think that first knight would have fared had he borne a mere commoner's name like, say, Perry Rimeter?
DeleteAs for making fun of our government go right ahead. Its members are showing no lack of ingenuity at continually making fun of it themselves.
And yes, I'll bite. The oldest joke would be...
About the oldest profession, no doubt...
DeleteAnd the oldest profession is story-teller, of course. The one you're probably referring to is the second oldest.
ReplyDeleteHurrah for you, Charlotte!!
DeleteUhh, Charlotte and Annamaria, haven't you learned yet that more who pile on EvKa the merrier he gets? :)
DeleteWell, the merrier YOU get, anyway. But I'll happily be piled on by Charlotte and AmA ANY time.
DeleteBut to circle back to the original post, I DO live in daily joy knowing that, barring a direct strike by an asteroid, I WILL outlive the Vampire Banana Slug that is currently attempting to simultaneously slime us and drain us of our vitalis liquida. There's a certain enervation that comes with the use of the phrase that Khrushchev directed to the western capitalists.
Yes. The earth keeps on spinning on its axis and revolving around the sun.
ReplyDeleteWe keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep our fingers crossed that our planet will remain undisturbed.
However, the horrors going on in Washington will harm millions of people and the planet.
So, vigilance is one thing and is important, but activism is even better. We can all make phone calls, email and sometimes demonstrate, go to town hall meetings, make the lives of Congress people miserable with pressure.
Eternal vigilance may not be enough to be the price of liberty, but eternal activism is needed.
To slightly modernize Edmund Burke's famous quote, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing."
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