When I became a counselor I learned a term to use with my campers, which was simple, but sort of a prefatory method to address a change in scheduled plans for the day. An easy phrase, it was called “A yea, boo day.” Usually the “boo” part would be recited, always start with the bad news, then the exceptionally upbeat, “yea” piece of information was added, causing greater applause and less oh fucks. Friday, December 1, 2017, was a “Yea, boo day” for me regarding American democracy. With the guilty plea by Michael Flynn, I felt buoyant enough to brag out loud that FINALLY justice is walking the mean streets of DC and Mar-A-Lago, and that even as frustrated as I have been for the bad guys to finally be identified and jailed, Mr Mueller seemed to win one for democracy. Of course the Talking Heads, rambled on and on, the Media provided a plethora of material, most people of value and morals commented and the Republicans remained mute, but nonetheless a bad guy pleaded guilty…so YEA!
During all of the Breaking News, (just how many times can the same story be called Breaking News) regarding Flynn, tidbits of commentary found footing on Cable News reminding us that the GOP, still puppets for their donors, still stooges for Trump, and still attempting to decimate democracy were at the Senate, pushing for a tax scam to fill the pockets of the rich and robe everything from health care, to medicare to equal rights from anyone who wasn’t of the 1%. No matter the good news regarding Flynn, there was bad news for the economy and the procedure by which politics had taken a turn for the worse. (I sat Shiva, for Hillary’s stolen election for many months. I tried to fathom life in America under the powers of a hacked election and rigged polling places, and a man named Trump sitting in any seat of power, so I thought I was emotionally prepared to be snookered into the GOP Tax Scam) So, all day willing to listen to the tedious, and repetitive Flynn news, I prepared myself for the GOP to pass their Tax Scam. I knew that John McCain, was a coward, and despite his own illness, preferred to assist his BBF Lindsey Graham, I knew Jeff Flake, was a flake, and only pandered to America to sell his book, and I knew that Susan Collins all dressed in her button earrings and beaded necklace, was nothing more than a sham. So the idea that any of these Senators would save the day, drifted in my heart, but my brain told the rest of my body, stop fooling yourself. Even though it was early morning on Saturday, December 2, 2017, the “BOO” part of the day took place.
I awoke to news flashes on my phone, explaining that the Senate voted for the Tax Scam, I saw a brief video of Trump bragging about winning. I heard some GOP Senators say the Dems were sore losers, but then I could no longer linger in the lousy possibilities that lay ahead for me and America. I had clients to train this morning, glad to leave my house and leave the death of democracy behind. I put on my earplugs, found my I-Phone Playlists. Choose the Playlist called Melancholy, and played every Crosby, Stills Nash, Young song I owned. Back in the day, listening to music created by people who insisted there is a purpose to fighting for the “yea”, in a “yea boo day”, helped me hope. The first song I listened to as exited my house was, “Find the Cost of Freedom”.
