Mercy Droppeth as the Gentle Rain

just for the heck of it, here’s the whole speech that many of us had to recite with great embarrassment in high school English class (ooh I still tremble at the thought):

The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I [The quality of mercy is not strained]
William Shakespeare
1564 – 1616
The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
‘T is mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown:
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence ‘gainst the merchant there.

the current congress could spread some blessings of mercy before they leave to DACA folk among us pre-empting whatever nightmares are about to be leashed upon them by the incoming DOTUS elect.

DACA’s future remains uncertain on the eve of 2nd Trump administration

this won’t be DOTUS’ 1st try. remember this story from 2017 about mconnell & Cohen Meet 2 US Congress Members who are Childhood Polio Survivors?

Polio cases are down by 99.9% globally since 1988. Progress toward the full eradication of polio is incredible news for people living in endemic countries including Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. And also for Americans.
To those born after polio was eliminated in the United States in 1979, polio may seem a bit distant. But the scars of polio still impact the United States. For example, two sitting members of the United States Congress contracted polio in childhood and continue to live with the consequences.
[…]
Experiencing polio himself has made Rep. Cohen a strong advocate for polio eradication. In 2015, he spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives about the impact that polio has had on his life, calling on parents to vaccinate their kids against polio.
Both Sen. McConnell and Rep. Steve Cohen have received Rotary International’s Polio Eradication Champion Award for their leadership in promoting a world without polio.
[…]
Polio eradication efforts have long had bipartisan support. However it is widely reported that, in March, the Trump Administration reached out to key members of congress requesting that they cut $13 million from polio eradication efforts in 2017.
To add to this, in the 2018 budget requests released on March 16, the White House called for dramatic cuts to foreign assistance that would impact the lives of millions around the world who rely on American leadership to access lifesaving vaccines.
As Congress works to finalize funding levels for polio eradication, Global Citizen will continue to look to leaders like Sen. McConnell and Rep. Cohen to advocate for robust funding for polio eradication.

on the subject of Time

Kimmel Calls Out Trump’s Bumpy Past With Time’s ‘Person of the Year’

While President-elect Donald Trump recently celebrated Time naming him its “Person of the Year” a second time, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel reminded viewers of Trump’s public discontent with the publication over the years.
“Trump has had many ups and downs when it comes to Time magazine,” recalled Kimmel, who brought up a April 2013 tweet where Trump wrote: “The Time Magazine list of the 100 Most Influential People is a joke and stunt of a magazine that will, like Newsweek,soon be dead. Bad list!” Notably, Trump was not on the publication’s annual lineup that year. The following month, Trump tweeted: “Just took a look at Time Magazine-looks really flimsy like a free hand out of the parking lot.”
However, as Kimmel points out, in 2015, when Time put him on the cover, Trump called the moment a “great honor.” Yet when he failed to make it as “Person of the Year” months later, the billionaire slammed winner Angela Merkel: “I told you, @Time Magazine would never pick me as person the year despite being the big favorite They picked person who is ruining Germany.”
Naturally, all ill will was lost the following year, when the magazine gave him the title and Trump once again lauded the “great honor.”
As Kimmel quipped, “Sadly, the era of good feelings did not last,” and when Trump wasn’t the featured subject of 2017, he claimed he had rejected Time‘s request for an interview and photoshoot ahead of the “Person of the Year” issue. “Time Magazine called to say that I was PROBABLY going to be named ‘Man (Person) of the Year,’ like last year, but I would have to agree to an interview and a major photo shoot,” lamented Trump at the time. “I said probably is no good and took a pass. Thanks anyway!”