Happy Fourth of July, 2018!!! This 4th finds the country as divided as I've ever seen it. I've read about the division/rancor of times past......pre Revolutionary War, Civil War, the ugliness of earlier elections etc. In MY life....this is as bad as it gets. Unfortunate. I've always believed in supporting the president, whoever he or she may be. Not a popular concept. When my guy loses it's akin to when the Yankees lose the World Series. A quick "dang," a deep breath and....back to life. "We'll get 'em next time."
A large part of our problem as I see it is there's no serious dialogue. There's talk of dialogue but we're not really listening. I like the old adage about why we have two ears and one mouth. You get it. I'm sure you've been in a situation where you're making what you consider to be a valid point but you can see the other person not really absorbing what you're saying and just itching...ITCHING to start talking again. At this point I should confess I'm a moderate. WHAT!!!!???? You mean you try to see both sides of an issue and make a semi intelligent decision based on....facts?! Or your personal core beliefs combined with facts?! Yeah. I try. Truth is a tough thing to find these days. I admit I can't find it. Lots of gray out there. And that's usually where the truth... or truth parts resides.
Try this social experiment sometime. Sit down with one of your liberal friends and one of your conservative friends (assuming you may have one of each) and moderate a conversation. Your job? Shut up. The rules are one person speaks until his/her point is made....with NO interruption. The other person takes a beat or two, considers...CONSIDERS.... what was said and responds. And you can't start with, "Yeah, well what about.....?" Respond to the point. I submit you can't do it. Maybe for a minute or two but then it will ultimately deteriorate into sound bytes.
Politics is a dirty business. I've met politicians on a local level and politicians on a national level. No matter what their aspirations are going in, they ALWAYS wind up selling a little bit of their soul to a compromise. In their defense they have to.... if they're eyeing a higher office. I saw this early on at a local level and it was an eye opener. So the cynic/realist in me assumes that Assemblymen, Congressmen, Senators and....higher ......probably have/had somewhat good intentions but not much soul left. And that, kids...is just the way it is. If you've watched the Sunday morning news shows you can see how everyone is scared "s.....less" to answer a question. Deflect!!!! The media scrutiny doesn't help. The slightest faux paux will follow them for the rest of their career. If they're liberal Fox will spin/edit it and if they're conservative CNN will spin/edit it. No debate here. Truth. Sorry if you're offended. Um....not really. You can substitute CNN and Fox for left and right media outlets. They ALL do it to different degrees. I enjoy going back and forth watching the anchors contortions to make the headline fit their "truth."
Having said all this I gotta admit I'm enjoying the Trumpster and his antics. I like a lot of what he's done and raise my eyebrow at other things. But I'm mostly enjoying the feigned outrage on the left. (In fairness, I also enjoyed the feigned outrage on the right during the Obama administration.) I'm a National Lampoon, Mad Magazine, Family Guy, SNL (when it was funny) kind of guy; warped, edgy sense of humor. I still laugh at ethnic jokes....even when they're directed at me. Irish. I wouldn't dare tell one. I'd have to move....change my name...! Just about nothing offends me. I mean really offends me. Not the knee jerk automatic offense we see daily. Poor baby. When did our skins become see through? I saw a FB post this morning where a young lady was ranting that everyone should speak Americanish...all the time. The Canadians....The British. Everyone!!! Cuz this is the language of the future!!!!! In my job I meet many millennials. Bright group but many are....confused. I was chatting with a young man a few weeks ago who was earnestly trying to convince me that the French had won the Civil War. I like to play along in these conversations for the entertainment value. Just for fun I said I thought the Civil War was fought mainly on American soil. He said,"Sure, 'cuz after the War of 1812 President Hamilton freed the slaves moving the war over here before it went back to France."👀 He was so proud I just had to say,"O man, I forgot that. It's been awhile. Thanks." And there we are.
Ah....entertainment value. It can't be overrated. I remember at the first, possibly second debate (don't let facts get in the way of a good point) when the question came up,"Is there anyone who will not back the Republican nominee?" No one raised their hand....except....you got it....Donald. Let the show begin!!! I met the Donald on a few occasions. Likable guy. But...they're ALL likable or they'd never get elected. At first I'd think, "Please, just keep quiet....stop tweeting......just improve the
economy and infrastructure." That's what he does. Now I say, "Let it rip...keep pissin' people off .......be the ultimate contrarian...tweet....tweet....tweet! (I don't tweet so I never see them.) Lack of class? I guess...but unfortunately there's a lack of class everywhere. And I say again.....entertaining.
And so my fellow Americans, on this day, a day we celebrate the invention of the hot dog by the great Dr. Frank N. Furter which, coincidentally, the Hessians were muching on when Gen George S Patton crossed the Delaware into Minneapolis and surprised them that Thanksgiving morning, thus turning the tide of WW 1, remember the last words of the late great General George Custer who reportedly said...."What the....?"
But seriously my brothers and sisters....I hate (and I hate the word hate) to see friends losing friends over this microsecond of cosmic history. C'mon man. Stop. It all shakes out. Maybe not here. But somewhere. I'm sure of it. And to those feeling disenfranchised..... I hope next time your guy wins. I promise I'll support them post win...or maybe even pre win. Then we can all watch the OTHER side's righteous indignation.
Now stop....take a breath.....consider..... and wait five seconds before you say, "What a freakin' douche bag!" Feel free to leave a comment....or not. But if you do....it better be in Americanish! Or I'm really REALLY gonna be offended! Happy 4th. Peace.
