Danger, Danger

Edward R Murrow stated to his staff 'if none of us ever read a book that was 'dangerous', had a friend who was 'different' or joined an organization that advocated 'change', we would be just the kind of people Joe McCarthy wants'. The earnest and defiant attitude of that newsman against a government determined to destroy free thought and speech is needed now more than ever. So many recent situations have come up that demand more people to champion this type of feeling, to become adversaries of governmental conformity, now is the time for us to prove we are a people who deserve to be free.

A Mississippi school district has pulled To Kill a Mockingbird from the curriculum because it makes people uncomfortable. History, novels that make people think or push them to challenge their beliefs, very likely WILL shove someone outside their zone of safety. This is WHY we teach. To make people think for themselves and to understand why something like this book was written. Do you have to agree with what you read? OF COURSE NOT. But you need to experience it so you can formulate an informed, thoughtful opinion.

​Another great example of total insanity comes from President Trump stating 'we are stopping cold the attack on Judeo-Christian values'. Well, he should. He hasn't lived one of those values in his entire life. Politicians in general have to cough while talking about this kind of thing. How many scandals do we have to hear about from conservatives in particular before their followers stop buying into their rubbish?

A quick internet search brought up 19 Republicans brought down by gay sex situations and had they not been screaming to ANYONE who would listen about how wrong homosexuality is, they wouldn't have been given any crap. Except that they were generally cheating on their wives too. This is the kind of Judeo-Christian value that will no longer be attacked: the right to be a hypocrite. 

Today, we have people in power who are telling us not to think for ourselves. They want to protect firearms while removing health care. Their ultimate goal is to perpetuate and protect a couple of cycles that ultimately lead to them acquiring more and more wealth. They want to trash the environment if they don't destroy the world first with the child in power holding a the keys to a violent confrontation with a psycho half a world away.

Now is NOT the time to start restricting the things we are teaching our children. They cannot make these same mistakes again when they're in charge. They can't look back on this point in our history and think we made the right call electing a game show host to lead the country. They can't believe that hatred, bigotry and ignorance are more important than empathy, compassion and enlightenment. 

If we are already lost, and I'm not saying we are, we can't be defeatist for the sake of those who will come after us. The next generation deserves the chance to grow up with the same opportunities as any of us. I hope, with all my heart, that we become sensible in the coming months and make some change. When a porn king like Larry Flynt is offering 10 million for dirt to impeach trump, the world's pretty dire. 

I hope he gets what he's willing to pay for. For all our sakes.