Today

When I was looking for a photograph for this post, I grabbed one of many from my twenty some years of living in the Washington DC area. As I joked with a friend yesterday who asked me about fireworks, except for Boston, I may never feel the need to see public fireworks again. However, I need to be honest. Had I posted a flag, my natural inclination would have been to show it upside down. Because I truly believe we are a nation in distress. In more ways than one.

Don't get me wrong, as an historian and a military veteran, this is surely a time to recognize both the history of this country, it's "birthday", and the Declaration of Independence (although it should be noted that the majority of individuals living in this country at the time were neither independent nor full citizens, including the female ancestors of this writer). As a country, we've survived 242 years. And that is a testament, absolutely, to all of us, as well as our parents and ancestors!

But we are in a time of crisis, and things seem to be getting worse. Hate crimes and acts of intolerance have gone up almost 42 percent in some areas since the election. Overt acts of discrimination and hate have become acceptable.  A man screaming in a coffee shop (at folks who happened to be citizens, mind you, in some cases) to speak English?  A woman calling the cops this week on a woman of color who happened to be a representative canvasing her neighbors on their concerns?  What have we come to? 

Just as one example,  The vitriol I see on many websites implies that people either don't know the difference between illegal immigrants and asylum seekers fleeing violence, or just don't care. When a woman walks across Mexico from fleeing from Honduras and accidental arrives at a border crossing that is not an "official port of entry", that should be considered a mistake, not a crime. Would you know which of hundreds of border crossings were ports? I don't and I speak English. A commenter on this blog implied that children taken from asylum seekers (not illegal immigrants) put in camps were in caring environments.  Where I come from, a cage where kids sleep with space blankets and adults are forbidden from touching or comforting children is not a caring environment. Are we ignorant, do we not care, or are we so full of hate for the "other" that anything goes?

Some folks may remember that I wrote a missive here on the politics of hate, immediately after the election. Specifically I said that I had personal friends who were Muslim, African American and Asian, and that they were afraid.  While some agreed with me, many others pooh-poohed that fear. The implication was that they, and I, were over reacting. The natural order of things, the branches of the US government, the so called intelligence of congress (especially moderate Republicans) would not allow that to happen. Folks, if you were one of the people that said that to me, you were wrong. Hate, idiocy, intolerance, all have blossomed in the last couple of years. And if that is offensive to some, so be it.

Years, ago, as a young college chick in the middle of one of the difficult times in our country, I woke up and realized something:  Richard Nixon not only divided the country in a way that affected it for years to come. He took great pleasure in the fact, and did it deliberately. I see that same pleasure in Donald Trump. He LIKES what has happened and is happening in this country. So to those of you who voted for him, I'll say this. If you did not know what he was, you do now.

But to be clear, hate and intolerance are not the only issues we face. We have entered into multiple trade wars. Wars which we not only cannot win, but that virtually EVERY economist, conservative or liberal assures us will end in a recession. We've apparent decided that it's okay to to leave a planet falling apart to our kids and grand kids because, well, it's their problem. If we leave a national debt for them so that we can lower taxes now, well, again, that's not our problem. Let them deal with it. And let's not even get into the fact that the President of the United States, in all seriousness now, wants to INVADE Venezuela. Has wanted to for awhile if you will, and has fortunately been held back at this point by the intelligence of the US military. Never mind the fact that our leader has alienated every single ally except for the evil empires of the world. That's right. Our President thinks that Putin is a really good, admirable guy. He thinks that he can deal with North Korea, and he admires the leader of China for making himself leader for life. If those last sentences don't give you pause, they should. The man admires dictators, rather than democratic leaders.

Now, I'm a generally positive person. I believe that we are part of a great country that has a future. But here's the thing (and where I break with some bloggers and their writings in the past few weeks). Burying our heads in the sand is not a positive solution. Can the news be too much sometimes?  Can we get overloaded? The answer is absolutely to both. But ignoring what is happening is dangerous, and yes, I mean to use that word. Disconnect from social media if you must. Choose one or two reliable news stations (I always recommend BBC America). Even though it "hurts", read the news from the perspective of the other side on occasion.

But most importantly, act. Vote, vote, vote, vote. Make sure everyone you know votes, even if you are opposed politically. As my daddy used to say in my radical years, a vote to abstain is a vote against. In other words, if you didn't vote last time, you helped elect the current administration. But do more than vote. Demonstrations are not for everyone. But find ways NOW, and everyday to make it clear where you stand. Put your money (however much or little that may be) where your mouth is. Say something if you observe someone being mistreated. Spend some actual time with someone who is different from you-in terms of race, gender orientation or anything else.

Because talk is cheap, folks. And while voting may be the most important thing we do, it's occasional at best. And we live in times where we need to physically (not just in writing), stand up for what we believe and let others know it. Every.Single.Day.

And finally, because I know there will be comments invariably here about my patriotism, I would remind you that I am a veteran, the widow of a veteran, the daughter of a veteran and the sister-in-law of a veteran (who served seven, count them seven tours in the middle east). He would be the first to say that what we fought for was kindness, consideration, and equality and openness-to all those in need wherever they may be from. None of us served, or fought, for isolationism or hate. And in fact, we served in a military that welcomes Muslims, gays, those who are transgender, women, folks of color and immigrants, documented and otherwise. Whether our current president likes the idea or not, those are the people who defend his right to be an president. On a daily basis.

Happy Fourth!