not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.” Dr. Peter Marshall, United States Senate Chaplin.
There many times since my grandfather (paternal) died in the Eighties when I am happy he is not seeing what is happening to these United States. He was a deeply patriotic man, a good Roosevelt Democrat. He had some serious flaws, racist primarily. Overall a solid union man, middle class, blue collar American.
His brother, my great-uncle, was killed in WWI when a German submarine torpedoed his boat. That act deepened his patriotism, which fed to my father and myself. He was as anti-Communist as anyone. Although not a Republican (note capitalized R) he understood their beliefs after WWII. Now that the gqp is deeply aligned with a Communist dictator he would be revolted and ready to pound them into mush.
A church going Roman Catholic, he converted because his wife was, he believed in charity for those less fortunate. The heartlessness shown by the current republican party and supreme court would have him in tears.
After his discharge from the U. S. Navy he lived through the years of the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. He tried to reenlist in the Navy for WWII, but was too old. He had lived and seen why Social Security was created. That the gop is about to destroy the last eighty plus years and America would have him ready to fight again.
It is time to ask ourselves if we are ready to fight for our lives and America. We know the republicans are fighting to destroy everything. We have to stop them.
“We have to stop them.”
but how? what is the most effective way that doesn’t entail becoming like them, that doesn’t mean more hatred, chaos and violence? in these times of division, is it possible to have a civil war that is only civil discourse democratically determined, not uncivilized war?
btw, BB, thank you for introducing us to your dad’s dad – sounds a lot like a lot of my relatives of yore. at least the good ones.
nice touch, too, on the birds flying the cage – could have many meanings particularly when read while remembering pogo’s thread yesterday.
metaphorically, some would see us americans this way
patd – the stopping part is easier said then done. One important path is local media. Fight against the whataboutism, the theydoittoo, the idiocy of the media trying to say Dems are as equal in crimes as the republicans. Local media is important , but as it fades away it is not replaced. Letters to the editor. Posting complaints on social media helps, except for some reason MSNBC Todd is still around. Letters to local and state representatives helps, although some hard core gop will toss Dems letters instead of reading them. Sitting out is not good so even phone calls to reps can help. I no longer can do the door to door work, but I can type.
Do it the Nor way.
If you look in close there’s a human in that pic.
Here’s extreme close up of dude on the edge.
BB
Excellent post. So many of the “greatest” generation were like your grandfather. Loved opening with the Peter Marshall quote. His speeches are among some of the best I’ve ever read. These days I doubt he would be welcome as chaplain today.
Mr. Jones Meet the Master
sturge, is truckin’ down the road the same as easin’ down it?
you so sure that little bitty guy on the edge of a great big high ledge wasn’t thinking (just like pogo yesterday) “why am I here” and how do I get somewhere else fast?
In case you missed it, here is the Total Eclipse of the sun as seen from Antarctica
NASA stream on BBC
dana noticed it too. wish more would take note.
Opinion | Biden’s media coverage is worse than Trump’s at times – The Washington Post
BB – The baser instincts of Republicans are now front and center. My grandmother, too, would be disgusted by the lot of them.
Meanwhile, the current crop of Republicans to whom I am related seems to be all in for fascism.
OM – I’ve had to ghost most of my relatives and keep things light and fluffy with the less hardcore of the lot.
I am still available for adoption.
I see that they’ve caught this week’s gunman’s parents/gun suppliers.
Really, they should require a license to raise a child.
Daily Beast found this from the Michigan killer mom’s 2016 open letter to Trump she posted online, classic deplorable: “Mr. Trump, I actually love that you are a bad public speaker because that showed sincerity, and humility,” she wrote. “You changed your mind, and you said ‘so what.’ You made the famous ‘grab them in the pussy’ comment, did it offend me? No. I say things all the time that people take the wrong way, do I mean them, not always. Do I agree that you should of [sic] shown your tax returns? No. I don’t care what you do or maybe don’t pay in taxes, I think those are personal and if the Gov’t can lock someone up over $10,000 of unpaid taxes and you slipped on by, then that shows the corruption.” Crumbley went on to tell Trump that she hoped he would “really uncover the politicians for what I believe they really are,” and that he might “shut down Big Pharma, make health care affordable for me and my MIDDLE CLASS family again.” She was in favor of Trump’s long-promised border wall, and noted that she was “not racist” because her grandfather “came straight off the boat in Italy.” “As a female and a Realtor, thank you for allowing my right to bear arms,” the letter continued. “Allowing me to be protected if I show a home to someone with bad intentions. Thank you for respecting that Amendment.” She complained about parents at other schools where the… Read more »
Mom’s letter above sounds so much like people attending Trump rallies I watched many times. One of the most disturbing things was listening to kids about his age brainwashed by their parents to repeat hate speech they didn’t even understand.
Craig – the Hitler Youth and child war fighters in Africa come to mind.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/04/media/cnn-fires-chris-cuomo/index.html
“With information in the texts and documents pointing to a serious breach of CNN standards, Cuomo was notified of his termination on Saturday.“
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/02/us/kyra-scott-14-year-old-killed-brother/index.html
“A 13-year-old boy who was manufacturing and selling so-called “ghost guns” has been arrested after he allegedly shot and killed his 14-year-old sister with one of his own homemade firearms…”
“Two people had come to the family’s home in Douglasville, about 20 miles west of Atlanta, on November 27 to purchase a gun that the 13-year-old made…”
“But instead of buying the firearm, the pair stole the gun from the 13-year-old and fled the scene, the sheriff told reporters. The boy then shot at them as they were leaving, Pounds said, but instead struck his 14-year-old sister…”
https://nypost.com/2021/12/04/ex-claims-ethan-crumbleys-father-a-deadbeat-dad-calls-mother-a-monster/
white trash
“…while James Crumbley was earning six figures, she had to fight for $67 a week child support for their son, Eli…”
“Jennifer, meanwhile, made Eli’s life unbearable when he would visit. “Jennifer was a monster…”
Whadda ya bet they’ll be arrogant and continue to make things worse for themselves in court?
Their kid is in jail for murder and they ran away, concerned only for themselves. Not concerned for those who were killed or wounded, nor for their own kid.
I’ve about had it with “doubled down”. It’s had a good run and plenty of exposure and now it’s time for it to retire to the tired old cliche home.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/04/business/bitcoin-plunges-overnight/index.html
Financial gibberish; if you can get USD for a code-mined, digital whatsit that’s notated on a blockchain ledger, take the cash…unless you can get more cash for your digital whatsit.
“Bitcoin prices plummeted overnight to a low of about $43,000.”
“…another platform, Coinglass, showed that nearly $1 billion worth of cryptocurrencies had been liquidated over the past 24 hours, with the bulk being on digital exchange Bitfinex.”
Mass-Murderers for Trump 2024
”A Gun In Every Backpack”
Abortion Bad, Murder Fine, vote Republican 🇺🇸
My Right To Kill You “Trumps” Your Right To Live, Vote Republican in 2022 midterms! 🇺🇸
^these are rough drafts, tweaking the messaging, get me Luntz! 📞
Even though i don’t agree with Democrats a lot, one of the main reasons i vote for them is because they don’t support arming children, as opposed to Republicans who are actively facilitating legislatively the arming of children
…to be clear. ✌️
off subject and a little late, but congrats to pogo who’s probably still cheering his head off
Alabama knocks off unbeaten Georgia to win SEC championship – The Washington Post
I absolutely adore this piece. Something lively and happy to dilute the day’s ick.
Thanks patd, it was a welcome win over GA. Bryce Young likely also secured the Heisman with his record breaking passing performance. Now on to the semifinals. I just hope GA doesn’t end up doing what Alabama did to LSU when they had a finals rematch after LSU beat them in the 2011 regular season and Bama returned the favor to win the 2012 BCS championship game.
NEW THREAD