Ms MacAteer was an excellent Social Studies teacher in elementary school, aside from her one lecture on “Never say the word ‘Damn” after the word God”, I, even in spite of myself, revealed in the machinations, meaning, momentum and wisdom of the creation, concept and conditions of the founding of America. Back in the 1950’s things were certainly very black and white and of course truth about the American Indians, not the native Americans, truth regarding segregation as if the Civil War changed all of that and since slavery was officially restricted, suddenly blacks and white were equals, truth about equality for women and women’s choices were all muddied and misleading, the facts at least historical FACTS about the purposes of three branches of government, a true attempt at a divide between church and state, the impression that immigration was a keystone to our republic, and the mere idea that we ELECTED a President and did not anoint a King stuck out in my young mind and developed my interest in pushing MY democracy as far and perfect as I imagined it might, may could or would be. I am grateful for Ms. MacAteer and her 1950’s generation of trying to teach future Americans about some of the possibilities of this nation.
I am wise enough and old enough to understand NOW how a man like Trump could have emerged on the American stage. With great sarcasm and sardonicism, I recognize that quality in much of what we attempted has changed its place of priority in the decades since the 50’s. Capitalism, good or bad, infused machismo, the degradation of others, purposely to uplift our own values, and the sheer and purposeful patronizing of those deemed the OTHERS, for me are key ingredients in a stew of muck and mirk which brings us to a narcissistic, psychotic, puppet of an enemy plutocrat running this nation. I used to laugh, how can we permit anyone to become the president of this nation if at first, we do to provide them with the same background checks necessary for the security clearances to run various departments in the nation, let alone handle top secret confidential materials. Yet the Constitution, the will of Congress and seemingly the insanity of a small group of the population deemed any and all true matters regarding Trump's background as unnecessary and unAmerican! Image if Donald Trump wanted to be an FBI agent and refuses to disclose 99%of his finances, health, and personal experiences!
It is no longer the 1950’s and thank goodness not, especially as Gay man, who only witnessed other homosexuals on stage and screen as sick, immoral characters, but I have to wonder if it is not the 1950’s what era have we become locked and loaded. Trump lie, Trump colludes, Trump launders money, Trump is a puppet. The Republican Congress is spineless fools. Groups of Americans believing that they can NOW stop being the dust and dirt being swept around are gaining power and prestige and even though a minority demanding degrading change for anyone they believe has the power to keep them a victim. Out National Intelligence Agencies fear the foe, Trumps own family has become wealthier and more selfish, with Ivanka pretending that child kidnapping is a thing of the past, and no matter what if parents do bad things for good reasons, all must be punished. And we have a media which pretends that new hate groups, like this bull shit Q group of fascists, are homegrown angry individuals, rather than bought and paid for bots by the trump Campaign, Vladimir Putin and perhaps even the RNC. I certainly do not long for the good old days, but I do long for trying to make a stew of sense when the ingredients are right in front of your face…so thank you Ms. MacAteer!
