sunday, october 8

On Saturday, October 7, 2017, the Nazi’s came back to protest and intimidate in the city of Charlottesville Virginia. Richard Spencer, the White Supremacist, led this second coming of the American Nazi, but this time without the indulgence of a Trump Tweet or 15 minute of fame pose in front of cameras, we really couldn’t tell if these were the good Nazi’s or the bad Nazi’s. But like all manners of white terrorism, there is never the right time to discuss what we should do next. On Saturday, October 7, 2017, the NRA a white terrorist group permitted their hostages, the Republican Party to pretend concern and actually say out loud, that MAYBE, PERHAPS, NO PROMISES MADE, a discussion of eliminating Bump Stocks might make it to the Congress. Big stride by the NRA American Terrorist Group to even permit its puppet politicians to say any word about guns, but PR is PR and sometimes you gotta pretend to care…but then again it is too soon to talk about how people who use guns kill, or the fact that guns were invented to kill.

On Saturday, October 7, 2017, the Evangelical Christian Fascists via their hypocritical paid for and born again Republican politicians decided that women now needed the permission of their bosses to be covered for any kind of birth control, whether it be, to control birth, whether it be to assist in other physical issues many women inherently come down with because they are women, or whether it just is a freedom of choice. The man who can grab a lady by her private parts, just felt that the divide between church and state was TOTALLY unfair to the church part of that contract and via some bull shit called Religious Freedom, anyone who decided that Jesus would be pissed for equal rights for women in America could tell those “dirty-nasty” ladies, not on my watch. On Saturday, October 7, 2017, we also garnered a few more bits of discriminatory language from the Attorney General Sessions (the guy who lied to the Senate under oath), that Jesus once again, was unhappy and via that code word for unconstitutional Religious Freedom, if a good Christian employer doesn’t like transgendered aliens or other members of the LGBTQ demographic, they could fire them and actually refuse to provide them service. On Saturday, October 7, 2014, we were once again warned by a guy on Putins payroll that just wait, this could be the calm before the storm.

Today is Sunday, October 8, 2017. It is hard to imagine just what might happen next. I believe, because, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan and a cadre of Republican leaders are also on the Putin payroll or perhaps a better name is Putin’s Bad Boy Blacklist, nothing will REALLY be accomplished to rid this country of a mentally ill, narcissistic, moron, jealous as hell of Barack Obama, being found the fool. At least 24 committee meetings regarding anything Hillary…Only two or three committees, with feet dragging so hard on the Senate’s marble floor you can see skid marks, regarding Russian hacking/Russian collusion/Trump Corruption…and MORE danger to the stability of this nation then ever before in its history… and here we are, AGAIN. Today is Sunday, October 8, 2017 and all we will get is a few more Tweets, a lot of talking heads, a few attempts to disguise the idiocy of Trump, and another day the United States falls further and further into a Black Hole. 

religious what

Religious Freedom, the ability to usurp the Constitution of the United States, break that wall between Church and State, and play another game of Christian hypocrisy, with the permission of the Republicans in Congress. Vote for the man who can grab women wherever he wants and whenever he wants.Vote for the man who discarded his own heterosexual wedding vowels, committing adultery and having a child out of wedlock. Vote for a man who has been proven a liar, a bigot, a racist. Vote for a Political Party whose values include licking the ass of the NRA, and ignoring the deaths of those murdered by gun owners or those whose lives have drastically changed by the lack of will to ensure any sensible gun law. Pretend that NOT standing for the Flag or the Anthem is a sin worthy of a trip to Hell, but ignore the freedom of speech, the politics of hate, and the inequality toward people of color, the LGBTQ community and women’s rights not only reproductive, but those as citizens. Religious Freedom, the ability to go to Church, pray to Jesus, and hate thy fellow American. Religious Freedom, the ability to lie to yourself, that all you are doing is protecting some apparently weak God, by denying other Americans the “…pursuit of happiness…”

For numerous reasons from the fact that Obama approved of contraceptive coverage, maybe the deal he made to keep the Evangelicals happy, or his sheer lack of respect for any one labeled a female, Trump has decided to eliminate  birth control coverage. All of this happening at the same time that Republicans, claiming to be the Party of Life, have NOT voted to continue the CHIP program, a health insurance program established for families on the cusp of poverty both on the negative and positive side. Religious Freedom, the right to open the back alleys for abortions, the right for women’s health to decline, and of course the right for poor kids to die, sooner and with more pain.

I have had enough of the Religious Freedom folks who feign Jesus, while all the time just being stupid, small minded, bigots, who despise the OTHER because all their own life they have been taught that HATE is a God given right.

domestic terror

When an American citizen plots and plans, schemes and systemizes venues, advantages, opportunity and operational means to murder and maim other Americans, that American is contemplating terrorism, and as an American on American soil, he or she is attempting Domestic Terrorism. In the age of Trump, of course, the hypocrisy in which we live, the official response is something as stupid as a lone wolf attacker, or just some deranged individual, with a whole lot of mental health issues. Stephen Paddock, mass murderer, was a Domestic Terrorist, whether the Trump Administration, the NRA, or the Republican puppets of the NRA want to say so or not. Stephen Paddock had great intention to murder as many innocents as possible. He was a white male, purchased some weapons of mass destruction legally, bought rounds of ammunition without much duress, and followed his views on the meaning of the Second Amendment, so how in the world could someone as apple pied, and white pocketed fenced as Stephen Paddock be considered a Domestic Terrorist, aren’t they usually people of color or Muslim!

When an American views the devastation and destruction of a massive natural disaster as a Hurricane, watching an entire Island country become decimated and destroyed, and does very little to assist his fellow Americans, has he NOT just committed an act of Domestic Terrorism. People are scared, people are desperate, people fear for their lives, people wonder when they might die…all of this IS the menu of a terrorist, all of this is the power the terrorist believes he owns and all of this is under the terrorist’s control. Donald Trump in his capacity of Commander-in-Chief, has the power to provide any imaginable relief to Puerto Rico, and has in purview the ability to ignore and refuse any aid necessary to make the people of Puerto Rico whole again. It may not be a weapon of war in his hands, but Trump the Terrorist has the power of the pen and he reuses to use it to bring, food, water, shelter and well being to the American citizens of Puerto Rico. Once again, we ignore the obvious, that an act of terrorism is taking place at the hands of Trump, because either his feelings were hurt, he has a disdain for people of color, or the government of Puerto Rico was Democrat and did not support Trump’s campaign. And once again we refuse to consider this smothering of Puerto Rico as an at of Domestic Terrorism just because it's a white guy, holding the trigger.

When do the smart people become in charge, or are we doomed to the dumb, because the USA has abandoned the democratic version of checks and balances; because the Republicans have been blackmailed by the Russians, and fear for their career rather than their country!

Aunt Celia

My Great Aunt Celia, my Grandma Braff’s youngest sister, came to this country and decided in doing so, that the minute her feet touched real USA dirt she would become a Yankee, embracing each and every miraculous minute she bumped into (she moved quickly so bumping into things happened quite often). Celia swore she would be an American first, a Jewish woman second, and only out of REAL necessity, continue to refer to random Romanian superstitions. Celia’s two older sisters were quite worried that Celia would act before think, and I remember, as a young kid how Celia was referred to as Celia Rosu (Celia the Red) as she always placed too much red lipstick on her lips and then placed dabs of it on her cheeks. Whenever we would have holiday dinners together, people tried their best to zig or zag a Celia would come in for a kiss of hello or a kiss of goodbye. It was easy to tell who Celia found.

While living in Romania as a young Jewish girl, my Great Aunt Celia, experienced discrimination that many minorities were prone to, living in a very Christian nation. Celia felt obligated to adhere to the many expectations God had set in place for she was reminded she was one of the Chosen, and as a young girl, I was told, Celia followed every Jewish tradition perfectly. However when Celia came to this country, she decided that as an American she had more power, she possessed more will, she no longer had to follow along, but could ask why. And so she did. Celia had a difficult time with the High Holy Day of Yom Kippur, not the fasting part, necessarily, but the whole idea of the Book of Life, the idea that repentance, grievances, and atonement could all be easily wrapped up, and somehow with a growling stomach, from fasting, and eating chicken soup, God would grant you another year. Often times, maybe days later, Celia would purse her lips pointing to a relative, and say”She told God she would not gossip, just listen to her now.” He told people he would not schnor (to take advantage of the generosity of others), look at him begging. Celia, would look up at the Heavens, pick a particular spot where she knew God was sitting, and say, they lied to you, perhaps this book thing is not such a good idea. Then she would take some spittle from deep inside her throat, turn to the right turn to the left, and then face forward, and add sorry God, ending all of this with a Pooh-Pooh-Pooh! And with whomever was in Celia’s company, she would add, “So, tell me I’m wrong!”

I have struggled this year, this new Jewish year, and i am wondering why, more often than not. Is one Book of Life all that matters, if I am okay, then the world will be better? Are my struggles of greater value then others? If I do right, but all around me many prefer to hate, to fight, to divide, should I be satisfied. I am not sure we all actually do not share the same Book of Life. I will continue to ask why and wonder, I too will spot that particular spot in the sky, and ask the God i believe in “So, tell me I’m wrong!”

Noise of Nothingness

The High Holy Days of the Jewish religion have come and gone, remaining on the calendar in October are festivals, moments to embrace the harvests, natures bounty, our coexistence with the Earth. Yom Kippur ended and supposedly the Book of Life, our personal book of life has begun and the mysteries will be revealed for the next 365 days if we are lucky or, our families and friends will understand that not every one was able to complete all of his or her chapters. We prayed, we fasted, we asked for forgiveness and we forgave. And yet, somehow, I still find myself confused, concerned and more convinced that consequences each day seem to have little meaning for the actions we commit. 

I don’t understand how we are debating, if an assault weapon is a patriotic symbol of America. I don’t understand how we debate the rights of free people to demonstrate free speech, be it taking a knee or questioning the equalities of others. I don’t understand, how because less lives were lost during Hurricane Maria, than with Katrina, those recently lost lives mean less. I don’t understand, how food, shelter, health are questioned because there is no budget for all of the needs those three areas of life require. I don’t understand, how quality of life can contain quality, when health insurance for children is cut, when food stamps for families has been cut, when wages are to be cut. I don’t understand, how being Gay scares the most religious of people. I don’t understand why women continue to be considered chattel, and how powerless they are to be regarding their own bodies. I don’t understand, how my Book of Life can exist, when all around me are people who hate, who despise, insecure people, who would rather see the demise of others finding differences than compromise.

I believe that a voice is necessary. But I wonder with both the explosion of bigotry, and bias, and the din of silence, who is listening? I swore to myself that i would not be silent, that no matter how small my words resonate, I will speak out loud, but the NOISE of NOTHINGNESS, makes my voice almost a whisper.

How many more must die, or maybe more must die when the the only solution to freedom seems to be guns. How many more must perish, or maybe more must perish, when we weigh the costs of care versus the costs of death. I am not stupid, yet all around me I hear useless rhetoric regarding freedom, equality, justice, and chance, and listening to all of that all I can think of is JUST HOW STUPID the world in which I live has become. If only we could all agree to end the NOISE of NOTHINGNESS, and speak the language of SOMETHING.

approach-avoidance

Approach-avoidance conflicts occur when there is one goal or event that has both positive and negative effects or characteristics that make the goal appealing and unappealing simultaneously. (Of course we CAN never talk about gun violence in the immediate hours of death and destruction, unless of course the gun violence was committed by a person of color, then we can listen to one dissertation after another) But I digress, WE all know that as long as politicians receive hefty bribes from the NRA, are fed well by the NRA Lobbyists there will NEVER be a discussion on gun safety let alone a debate! Its kind of like swearing we can find a cure for many of the ailments that kill humans, and while we are certain of that the Corporations are either burning down the Rain Forests of the Amazon, or polluting the waters of this planet which most likely contain all kind of cures.

Money is democracy. Putin may have recently entered the buy a candidate market, but our politicians have been for sale for decades. There is a mysterious family named the Mercer’s who are spending millions on Trump’s defense regarding his collusion with the Russians. The Mercer’s are a very this is a Christian nation oriented clan and for them democracy will have to take a back seat the Koch Brothers hate rules and regulations, they define themselves as Libertarians, but the real freedom they fight for is to ignore the Constitution because that was invented for the common man, not the wealthy one. So the Mercer’s and the Koch’s and God knows who else will fight against the will of the people, while the politicians who supposedly are hired to do the will of the people DON’T.

There is never any time to talk about guns, unless you are talking about more. From the ever ready to lie Sarah HUCKABEE Sanders to the GOP Senators who only have 2o0 seconds to offer their “thoughts and prayers”, to Pat Robertson of the 700 Club who has sworn that his Jesus had been pissed about so many people dissing Trump, thus permitting the murders in Las Vegas, from all of them and the self loathing maniacs who think owning assault weapons makes them macho or more American, all we do, with the assistance of the media is APPROACH, the subject, then merrily AVOID an answer…just in time for the next crisis to enter into our lives so we can play the Approach-Avoidance game with that.

silence

Playing the part, they stood stoic, all assembled on the lawn at the White House. A moment of silence they requested, a time for photographs, thoughts and prayers, perhaps a melancholy sound bite. Then, the post mortem was over and all that could be heard floating in the wind were words of “no discussion on gun laws now," “no time for politics, while people are still grieving,," the murdering of innocents is part of the price we pay for freedom”; and the very best 'God Bless the 2nd Amendment!”  Then off to the offices of the very Lobbyists, who shall decide which laws are changed, which laws remain, and which laws are completely ignored.

As harsher guns are produced, weapons which even Armies quiver about regarding their use in war, for American consumption, we will once again find division not compromise on the importance of murder in the psyche of American culture. Those politicians receiving huge financial benefits, will simply say it is our right to bear arms. Those politicians with deep Evangelical and Southern sources of Lobby income will produce fake historical revelations from both a Bible and some antidotal phony reports. We will be told taking a knee for the Flag is UnAmerican, but holding an Assault Riffle high above your head, something the Founding Fathers would be proud of.

It was a white guy, who murdered and maimed hundreds, but he was not a terrorist. Nothing to see here but a crazy man permitted to own not only one gun, but at least 60. Sometime, we will be told, a bad guy buys a gun, that of course should not be the deciding reason to BEGIN any serious form of Gun Reform. This is America, the freedom to kill certainly out weighs the freedom not to be killed. Like every other Breaking News item, the talking heads will appear, the Republicans will diminish the whole Gun/Murder/Killing thing, the Dems will protest, pointing fingers and all of this will play out on every news outlet UNTIL, the nest BREAKING NEWS item forces itself onto the public. The American voter thinks we still have control over our on government, but once again we have discovered the real people with power are the CORPORATIONS who own a very weak, spineless, and self-serving group of professional politicians. I use the term Silence Equals Death, to make a point about how quiet we sometimes get…just wait until the Republican Congress votes yes on permitting more and more gun loving Americans to place silencers on their weaponry of war!