Sunday Morning Post (V.2, #34): Let The Circus Begin

And now it’s official:  it will be Biden/Harris against Them.  So now comes the long slog until election time.  I dare say we should not use the term election day, not this year.  It appears that this year the votes will take longer than an evening in prime time to collate and verify.  The long decision in 2000/2001 (remember hanging chads?) may look quaint and efficient compared to what we might have to endure this year.

Both sides are well drawn very far apart.  Both sides accuse the other of being at the mercy of extremist forces.  Both sides are being down right mean to the other without an ounce of empathy or respect to the other.

This is the biggest tragedy confronting America now. We as a nation cannot confront the real issues which need to be resolved if our country has any chance to survive if we don’t start treating each other with respect.  Progress has been stymied for the last four years because, frankly, our leadership during that time has shown itself to be self-centered and uncivilized. 

The MAGA-Hatters are disrespectful to the so called Libtards, and we liberals act in kind towards them.  We all know better that we should not lower ourselves to our baser instincts and attack our fellow citizens, but we do it anyway.  Bullying is too easy.  Love and brotherhood are so-o-o-o-o hard!

Many of us do it in the guise of humor and satire.  They are not meant to be hurtful.  They are meant to make a point about the other fellow’s thinking as well as our own.

I realize nobody wants to hear this now, but eventually we are all gonna have to come together as one to work through our problems.  One as in united.  United as in not just in name only, but united in spirit and action.

I know I’m asking a lot today, but hear me out.

We need to return to our old attitudes towards each other. The old attitude was where we each held certain values and agreed that we could disagree with each other without using a gun or rioting to back up our point of view.  We need to see those we disagree with compassion and trust that they share the same goals with us.  We need to recognize that each of us sees the path to those goals a little differently, but that realization shouldn’t divide us.

Many evangelicals who are also MAGA-Hatters should be learning this lesson on Sunday mornings, but apparently they are not learning these lessons at all.  The rest of us should rely on the concepts of charity and good will to reach our goals.  We just need to do this without succumbing to the baser instincts of human nature.

This is not an impossible task.  We have done this before.  We have come together as one, united against some other outside danger that dares to challenge the values we call the American way of life.  Unfortunately, we don’t get this message unless the actual danger metastases itself as a very physical, very violent attack.  Think Pearl Harbor.  Reference 9-11.

I would hope we would not have to go through such an event this time to get the message.  Alas, history and human nature is not on our side.

For now, the acts are settled and the Big Top will be set up any day now.  There will surely be distractions and diversions galore in the outer rings to keep us entertained for the next two months.  Make no mistake: the real show will go on in the center ring.  The greatest show, the greatest struggle to save western culture (no less), on Earth!  

Come one! Come all!  Just don’t forget to vote at the end.

And may God help us all.

(Thank you for reading.  Thus ended the sermon.  No offering will be taken today.  This one is on the house.)

Sunday Morning Post (V.2, #33): Odds, Ends, Summer 2020

My mind is not good at focusing on any one issue this week.  So, I will write down a few thoughts and observations that have been blowing around inside my mind.

Observation #1 - The Lifetime Movie Network

I have a ritual where I channel surf from a certain channel on my cable on down the dial.  I may stop and pause at one or two and linger for a few minutes if something catches my eye.  One I have stopped at several times is the Lifetime Movie Network, or LMN. The films, like the Hallmark channel, seem to be focused and geared towards women. The films, unlike the Hallmark channel, are not so much romantic G-rated dramas as R-rated romantic dramas with a bitchy attitude.  Many times, the problems faced by the main characters are resolved not through clear-headed solutions offered by the late Doris Roberts on Hallmark, but rather at the wrong side of a gun.  Think Peyton Place on steroids.

I watched one recently where a high school co-ed developed a crush on her teacher and did everything she could to get him to notice her.  In her dreams, she succeeded to the point where he got down on one knee in front of all of her girlfriends and proposed marriage.  In real life, the teacher had his own problems trying to get reconciled with his estranged wife and pushed our over-sex-hormoned heroine away to the point where she was going full bitch and psychotic.  At least I assume this is what happened, because I did not stay for the end. 

I assume it ended badly for our heroine, but no doubt an ending which satisfied the morals of Western culture, or whatever of our morals has survived over the last three years.

Observation #2 - History is made at night

I’m sure this old cliché has a double entendre meaning somewhere, but for the moment we must acknowledge that history was made this week at the (virtual) Democratic Convention.

Yes, once again the front spot is occupied by an old white guy, but at least this one has a long career in public service and knows that his ego should not get in the way of resolving our issues.  No, history was made when Joe Biden picked Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate.  She also has a long history of public service, even though everyone is emphasizing that her ancestry is Black and Indian.   

Again, we’re focusing on diversity in our society, and at least one party knows enough to put their money where their mouth is.  This is not a bad thing as mankind has many different varieties of people and cultures, each one with a valid set of values and viewpoints.  I don’t want to put pressure on the candidates, but surely they know that the whole of western democracy will only survive if their campaign succeeds.  No pressure.

Observation #3 - The other party has their convention this week

The political entity formerly known as the Republican Party holds their (virtual) convention this week.  There should not be any nomination drama as both current President and Vice President are expected to be named to the top of the ticket again.  Oh, there may be some haggling about a so-called party platform, but even then, what will there be to debate?  The candidates have no values whatsoever and the GOP no longer exists anyway.

The Republican convention promises to be a circus of self-denial.  How does one explain away a failing economy on their watch?  How will they explain how a pandemic got beyond their control?  Honestly, it’s not even worth their trouble to put balloons (virtually) in the ceiling rafters.

The Republican Party has nothing to show in the way of accomplishments during the last three years to brag about.  Nonetheless they will brag.

As their candidate in the top spot might tweet, “Sad.”

On the bright side, there will be other issues to take our minds off the GOP proceedings.   Wildfires are consuming vast areas of California and Colorado, and not one but two hurricanes are headed for Louisiana and/or Texas.  The bright side is that locusts have not been sighted yet.

(Thank you for reading.  Biden/Harris 2020!)

Sunday Morning Post (V.2, #32) – Please Mr. Postman

Many Americans do not believe the COVID-19 pandemic will allow us to congregate at the voting polls in November.  Our option is to vote by mail, but the President/Dictator and his Postmaster General is doing everything they can to thwart mail in balloting.

Balls!

There’s just so much that is wrong with this administration effing up our postal service.  And the people who can stop him (Congress) have left town for their annual vacation like there’s nothing to see here.

A great big WTF and double balls to them.

Recent events compel us to dust off this old chestnut and rewrite it with new lyrics relevant to today. So far, I can come up with these new words:

There must be some word today/From a democracy so far away

Please Mister Postman, look and see/If there’s a ballot, a ballot for me.

The fear is great among the voters that our voices will not be heard in November.

As for now, we can offer a little bit of nostalgia to hopefully soothe our wounds.  We found three videos to share from the original (all girls) to a British Invasion cover (all boys) to a brother/sister duo who ended up making soft rock extremely soft.

Please enjoy until next week.

(Thank you for reading.  Come home democracy. All is forgiven.)