I must admit my interest in politics began with some very elementary school lesson emanating from my Social Studies classes taught by Miss MacAteer, especially in the seventh and eighth grades. Albeit this was the 50’s and we started each day with a chapter from the New Testament, the Lords Prayer and saluting the Flag, Miss MacAteer also offered historical reasons why this nation was founded on basic principles that the “pursuit of happiness for all should be granted, and her BIG issue was to educate her students on the fact that having a King or Queen, having Royalty denied the average person from ever being important enough or powerful enough to become the leader of this nation or any nation. We certainly did our share of having “God Blessing America," but for Miss MacAteer freedom and equality were somehow the keys to a successful democracy.
In high School, I took Civics from Mr Hirsch. More of a Liberal, Mr Hirsch encouraged his students to survey the Constitution, not just accept it or memorize the key pieces of law, but to persist in asking why, and demanding why not. I learned the meaning of being an activist via Mr Hirsch, and proudly accepted that I had a role, albeit perhaps a minuscule almost invisible position, but nonetheless a responsibility to share the politics of my future. Mr Hirsch also promoted the ideals that we should never consider any of our politicians as royalty. (As an aside, these were the years of the Kennedy’s and the sense of Camelot, so if ever royalty was just around the corner, so it seemed in the early 60’s it would arrive)
In college, I faced the narrative of the conflict in Viet Nam, it was not quite considered a war, yet, but it too was a relevant piece of history, which placed dictators against democracies, demigods, against decency…or so we thought. Many American knew little about the manipulation dripping, or was the word oozing down from the White House toward main Street America. My Draft Lottery Number was 248, a kind of safe number, and I remember having to declare myself eligible for the draft from my birthday October 21, until December 31. If my number had not been called I would almost be free from the draft unless the entire Asian contentment went to was against America.
I have remained a bit quiet these past few days, not ranting or raving as loudly as I thought I should. I grew tired of yelling and screaming at the wind, knowing the true answer to change has to come from the Congress, true change will not come from the Trump supporters, but that the average citizen MUST make that change. But throughout the past few days, there has also been a similar theme that remained me of my past experience with politics…aside from no more “checks and balances," it seems Miss MacAteer and Mr Hirsch would both be yelling and screaming somewhere in the great beyond to know that we now have Royalty in the White House, a Royal Family in Washington and a Royal Court composed of Republicans. I am angry, aggravated, agitated aggrieved by the arrogance and ignorance of anyone Trump, and pissed as hell with the compliance of anyone Republican who has indeed installed an Emperor, of course with no clothes to rule this nation. We had a revolution, once before on these shores to fight the tyranny of tyrants, perhaps its time again!
