- Details
- By McAlister Merchant
I am not religious, though I spent part of my youth thinking I might become a priest (but then I really looked at girls). But I do think of myself, when it seems appropriate, as a spiritual man, which isn't as easy to explain if I even wish to. But I ran into an interview on Facebook, or YouTube, or from Instagram, that reminded me of a phrase that I remember, incorrectly, but usefully right now. It'll allow me to make art today, and tomorrow, and for a few more days to come. It will allow me to sleep.
"Make a joyful noise before the Lord."
Now when I looked it up, "before" is "unto". I suppose either works for anybody because it reminds us of something Kamala Harris has said. This campaign, though wearying, and short, and intense, should be fought (and it IS a fight), with JOY"
The 'expert', whose name I can't remember, said in part of her assessment of our struggle to save our democracy, that JOY as core of the effort is stronger than anger.
I choose to believe that.
I argue against Trump and his backers. I argue against his opinion and his behavior against my against my country, against its Constitution, and against its people. I FIGHT against their hunger for our world; because I remember the joy of singing the national anthem with my Boy Scout troop, with my father and his brothers, I enjoyed walking to church (all three of them) with my mother and my sister. I remember the joy my mother experienced when SHE got her driver's license. I remember the joy I felt when I graduated from my finally desegregated school. I re-experience great joy at the conquest of some evil in the world by soldiers of honor and of courage - Our people, our soldiers, our honor, our courage. OURS.
We cannot with joy throw those away.
We can with joy, fight to preserve from now into a still glorious future.
- Details
- By McAlister Merchant
I am sorry! I am sorry it took me this long to be so angry.
I’ve been angry at Donald Trump since the debate over his false statement about Haitians and dogs and cats. But I woke up this morning and I'm so angry I could have blood in my eyes.
Two men running for the Presidency and vice Presidency of the United States of America, whom I wouldn’t let walk a dog!
For days they has restated and expanded a lie about immigrants eating pet animals. Yesterday his sidekick JD Vance made sure we all know that he will “create stories” that support his partner in these lies. The people, residents and immigrants, in Springfield, OH are fearfully under siege. The leaders of the town have declared that these statements are lies. They BEG Trump to stop. Public and commercial buildings are closed under threats from third party misorganizations. Trump, however, does the same thing he did on January 6; fan the fires of chaos among innocent people for his own aims.
He ignores the unnecessary plight of Springfield, OH. He refuses to take the easy, prudent, sympathetic actions of a true Civic Leader of apologizing for his dangerous, hurtful lies. These are citizens that he is treating with selfish disdain. There is no way he should be allowed to "govern" our country. He doesn't want to govern. He wants to rule. He doesn't know HOW to govern wisely or well. Indeed he wants only to rule, selfishly, severely, freely, dictatorially, endlessly unjudged and imperially. He is proving what he will do to get his way.
Strike TWO.
Strike three is OUT for us or for him!
- Details
- By McAlister Merchant
He's done it.
He's proved to the world how much he "owns" the united States of America.
Any despot can have a piece of property, a part of the population, as much control of commerce, banking, electric, oil wind, water powers, forests and farms. ALL OF IT… as long as Mr. T gets what he says so.
All he has to do is pit us against each other. He and MAGA (Tea Party portion of the Republican Party +) have made a cult of a large portion of the citizenship and with that vanguard he can easily drive large portions and perhaps more than enough voters to create chaos and destruction anywhere in the country with a few words whispered again and again in papers and on cable and on radio and TV.
"They eat your dogs!" "They eat your cats!" (What about my chickens, my cows, my lambs and turkeys). “Believe me I heard it on TV. How terrible!” - of course, you clods, so have you!)”
He has done it before in the nation's capitol, Washington, DC. He just did it again in Springfield, OH. And he needn't do it many more times before entire groups of Americans will beat each other into submission… to him! and his 2024 cohorts who will promise to restore ORDER to your/his country.
They want us to beg for their form of order to, essentially, save us from.
Hitler could only WISH he had been so strong!
- Details
- By McAlister Merchant
As of 9 August 2024, over 41,000 people (39,677 Palestinian and 1,478 Israeli) have been reported as killed in the Israel–Hamas war, including 113 journalists (108 Palestinian, 2 Israeli and 3 Lebanese) and over 224 humanitarian aid workers, including 179 employees of UNRWA.
The disparity of numbers of people dead, for me, eliminates sympathy to the Israeli administration of this conflict. Our government is able to and should demand serious alteration of this situation in order to avoid, first, suspension of all munitions and economic support to Israel, followed, second, by serious diplomatic reductions of support if there is no compliance.
We cannot, as THE Democratic (in organization and in principle) nation, be sympathetic or supportive of such unrestrained violence, whether it is just outrageous or it is demonstrably obscene.
out·rage
/ˈoutˌrāj/
noun
an extremely strong reaction of anger, shock, or indignation.
"her voice trembled with outrage"
Similar:
indignation, fury, anger, rage, disapproval, wrath, shock, resentment, horror, disgust, amazement
out·ra·geous
/outˈrājəs/
adjective
1.
shockingly bad or excessive.
"an outrageous act of bribery"
Similar:
shocking, disgraceful, scandalous, atrocious, appalling, abhorrent, monstrous, heinous,
evil, wicked, abominable, terrible, horrible, horrid, horrendous, dreadful, hideous, foul,
nauseating, sickening, vile, villainous, nasty, ghastly, odious, loathsome, shameful,
infamous, nefarious, iniquitous, unspeakable, intolerable, insufferable, insupportable,
unendurable, unbearable, impossible, exasperating, offensive, maddening, distressing,
immoderate, exorbitant, unreasonable, over the top, OTT, steep, beastly
Opposite:
acceptable, mild, moderate
2.
very bold, unusual, and startling.
rageous
adjective
Hostile, contentious, wrangling; (b) turbulent, stormy; (c) of persons: intensely passionate; of passion or love's desire: fierce, intense.
ob·scene
/əbˈsēn/
adjective
(of the portrayal or description of sexual matters) offensive or disgusting by accepted standards of morality and decency.
- Details
- By McAlister Merchant
Pied Piper of Then or of Now
Once upon a time, in a land faraway, but not very different than ours, there was a place called Hamelin. This was centuries ago and the town no longer exists. At that long ago time, Hamelin was infested with rats. In all the years since then, many people have said that as distressing as the population of diseased rats, were the ghosts that accompanied the rats.
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