POLITICS AND DEATH AND DEATH AND POLITICS

August 4, 2019

Give or take, thirty five funerals are being considered this morning. That's the second part of this post.  

I got a little carried away today with rhetoric in response to how the Democrats may be shooting themselves in their collective feet with the debates that seem to be about knocking one another off instead of pitching to their constituents how they might fix our country.  

So.. I wrote this today and have edited it and the only real suggestion for fixing anything is at the bottom of the page.   The death tolls from Gilroy, El Paso and Dayton may rise today. Who's next? Tomorrow? And, there will be a sad tomorrow, until this epidemic is addressed and we work to fix it. 

//

I've not had the heart to watch the debates. These politicians' snide remarks don't stab to the bone; they slice like a razor: opening up a wound that may never heal.

A Greeley friend asked whom I support (my pal, Tom Hayden was coiling for a debate)... and I said I'd vote for Al Franken. And, I would. Imagine an intelligent, effective, thoughtful and funny guy who would crash a press conference to pump up the volume and banter with those pesky reporters!

Sadly, we have a serious issue to face.

Good US citizens are rising. Our country is rising. Columbine, Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, Parkland,

Gilroy.. El Paso.. and.. this very morning, 8/4/19.. in Dayton, Ohio: the NY Times reports nine shooting deaths. Are we so inured to death? 

That's a troubling thought.

And, the sad answer may be yes.

Every report of a mass shooting (where more than three people die) emboldens another sick person with access to ammunition and a weapon to lock and load. Epidemic? This actually IS an epidemic of violence: it's a health issue.

Call the Center for Disease Control .

Call the director: 

Robert R. Redfield (404) 639-3311

Maybe better? Write a snail mail to him:

1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30333

Finding a cure to stem this tide of murder should be demanded by the White House. 

 And, by all of us. 

Michael Sheehan

What about Franken?

 This is a bit long. It may take a little while to read. Just my musings on the article I mention below.  

In this week's The New Yorker magazine (July 29, 2019), Jane Mayer has written a very lengthy discussion regardng the way that Al Franken was brought to heel in a questionable flurry of misguided #MeToo accusations .. specifically by a conservative radio personality, Leeann Tweeden. 

In thousands of words, Ms Mayer has pointed up that there is and has been a growing hysteria that fostered the #MeToo and all men now live under a cloud of suspicion for even looking at a woman and smiling. (Emmett Till's tragedy comes to mind.)  Hysteria is somewhat difficult to define, because sometimes there are actually issues to become hysterical about. Limbic reactions are out of our control. 

The current U.S. administration is an embarrassment and destructive to our democratic way of life.  Chicken Little may be right! Right or wrong, in one way or another, the Sky may be Falling!

As I read Mayer's article: to me an overlong 'apology' for Franken, it made me realize that in politics, the politician is doing many things at the same time: hopefully working to represent his/her constituants, hopefully being honest (as if any politician is ever totally honest) and surviving in the shark infested waters of doubt and derision.  One false move and you are toast. 

On the other hand, the regular person, the guy, the gal, the dad, the mom, the parent, the pal.. is pretty much free to just Be.

The times that the 45th president (sic) contributes to the instability of the world with his undocumented accusations and false analogies: hyperbole is swirling in such a way to suck anyone into a vortex of confusion and frustration. 

Last night I attended a wonderful exhibition of talent and culture.  A friend and her Significant Other have produced a documentary about an iconic performer from the 1960s.  The point is that on greeting this lovely woman, we hugged and kissed.  I genuinely love her. After reading Mayer's article, it dawned on me that because of the #MeToo thing, any man who embraces any woman may later be taken to task for the embrace. We live in hysterical times. 

As in the days of the Salem Witch Trials, the mores of those times, the hysteria that fed upon itself to the demise of innocent women; today, the feeling of being overwhelmed permeates not only the culture of the United States, but the entire first world.  We are bombarded by the news of horrible incidents of mass shootings, the Gilroy attack most recently. Our immediate access to information literally grabs our attention and whips it to some other tragedy or incident that supplants the one that just happened.  

The point is that we may be on the 'road to perdition' in a manner of speaking because the stress of all of this information slaps us silly from one emotionally upsetting event to another almost in an instant.  For those who find the actions of the current president of the United States abhorrent, this is stress that may be similar to being subjected to fingernails on a chalkboard intermittently with no understanding as to why it's so annoying along with the concurrent feeling that we are powerless to eliminate it.  Keep folks off balance and that will create an unstable situation where this 'hysteria' that I'm harping on.. is goaded along.

Because of our now instant communication with 

e-media broadcasting from smart phones immediately onto  the internet and picked up and forwarded willy nilly literally around the world, the paranoia of behaving like normal human beings.. spontaneously greeting someone and touching them or saying something that may be interpreted as untoward is now a real thing. 

I have a dear friend who is a "lips kisser."  It is her way and when coming or going, it's a peck. In our days of hysteria, if a man was a lips kisser.. innocuous and just his way, the standard would be in our days of hysteria.. (I use that word a lot to remind that it's the theme of this writing).. In our hysterical days.. the man could literally be charged with assault or worse..

To me, the only way to get Al Franken back on track, is for him to run again for his senate seat. And, to win.  The Democrats who banded together to dismiss him out of hand, with very little evidence except the questionable accusations of a handful of women, including Tweeden, some of whom have not even been named should come forward (as some do in Mayer's article) and rescue Franken.  Some of these Democrats, have now said that they may have rushed to judgement with the superficial 'evidence' and not allowing a proper hearing with the Ethics Committee to have taken place for Franken to respond to the accusations was wrong.  Presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand  stands by her condemnation of Franken.  That says something about her.. to me.

Mayer's New Yorker article examines many sides of what Franken now says that he regrets: simply stepping down.  It was like an admission of guilt with no due process.  Her article attempts to be fair with some staffers critical of Franken's way of expressing himself.  He made a living as a comedy writer and performer for goodness sakes. Some of that broad exhibition of life doesn't come to an abrupt stop just because one becomes a US Senator.   It may not be an excuse, but the analogy that I've come up with is that Franken may have jaywalked and his penalty is life in prison.  That is wrong and completely unfair.. It is wrong. 

Why did it happen? Hysteria. #MeToo..hysteria and even an hysterical response from Franken himself.

Did Franken do it for the Democrats? Probably. Also, the way the whole thing was exposed by Tweeden, his supposed victim, (former Fredrick's of Hollywood lingerie model) from KABC AM conservative talk radio.. totally blindsided him. The article exposes the self serving and blatant untruths that Tweeden claimed regarding the 2006 USO tour that she did with Franken, doing skits that were almost identical to ones he had written and done with other women celebrities in the former trips he took to entertain US Troops abroad.  Lies and half truths won the day for Tweeden. The Democrats took the bait and down went the senator, good works and all.

The great shame in all of this is that Al Franken is a brilliant guy.  In his decision to 'do the right thing' he may have done more of a disservice to our country than anyone could imagine. The hysteria that permeates the world at this very moment, exacerbated by the paranoia of mass shootings and a loose cannon in the White House, the damning information from the Mueller Report, now old news as just a few days past... The hysteria that foments in us even if we are not even aware of the issues that are ... right this minute...  volcanoes  of dread.. ready to erupt to further question our own personal morality and our moral state as citizens of the USA.. formerly the good guys who told the truth, stood for Justice and The American Way.. We are now complicit in the detention of innocent immigrants, separation of families seeking asylum .. and the relentless blather from the highest office in the land that reads like a C Minus eighth grade essay.. Make no mistake, that pain in your neck.. the tension you feel when you see folks behaving as if they are entitled to more than you are is because of instant communication and missed interpretations of what might be innocent acts AND.. and.. our loss of decency as a thing to admire and aspire to: the tension permeating the very room where I sit is because I know that things might get worse before they get better.. if they ever get better..  

And!! My printer is broken so I can't even print this out and send it to my old Colorado pal who, in his politics,  is to the right of Attila, The Hun... because though he reads and believes the Drudge Report on line, can't manage to maintain an email account. 

Michael Sheehan

ROBIN WILLIAMS HAS COME AND GONE

When I initially began this writing..  I really don't like to call this a blog, though that's just what it is.. This writing..  it was to put to voice whatever thoughts came along, at first inspired by seeing clouds after the death of a friend whose graveside service I'd attended near Long Beach. The clouds were those big cumulus bumpers in a blue like.. blue blue sky.. like the sky is supposed to be.. well. except at night.. But along the way, this site became a place where I'd air some ideas beyond the clouds.. 

'Both Sides Now?'  Did you know that Joni Mitchell's song came from her reading a book on an airplane, looking out the window..  on the way to or from a gig..or was it just a trip? Saul Bellow's 1959 "Henderson,  The Rain King" has the line somewhere in it.  I don't recall the story enough to try to explain. The serendipity of one thought leading to another is what this is about.  How we all piggy back our own idea onto someone else's..  That's the essence of improv: "Yes... and..."

I've just watched the last part of a PBS special about Robin Williams.  

http://www.pbs.org/specials/pbs-remembers-robin-williams/

That's supposed to highlight so that you can click on it to connect? Hmm.. well.. just copy and paste if you like.. 

Many of you reading this knew Robin.  I only met him one time and it was unforgettable.  An actress by the name of Dee Marcus.. a round and happy little lady founded "Off the Wall" that was at once an improv class/group/looping group. They met in a space just north of Santa Monica on Fairfax.  Funky and casual.  I was invited one night to attend and who should show up but Robin Williams.  He was humble and funny and treated everyone in the assembled group as a peer.  That was important to me, though I'd had some success, Robin and his untamed censor was a star.. He did a short improv ..  a character.. Blind Lemon Yellow? Does that ring a bell?  He and his gang.. I've forgotten whom he came with.. were in and out.. just a flash of genius.

Today I am in a reflective mood for other reasons. Embarrassed myself by calling an old girlfriend who was surprised to hear from me. Started writing a funky memoir of sorts, which led me to calling this woman who's made a name for herself in Chicago. Short uncomfortable chat. Just spontaneous..a thank you to her, of sorts...  for being an important moment in my life.  A link that led to other steps that I've taken in the past many years. Not with her. 

I  sat in front of the TV coming down from the odd phone call and there was a tribute to Robin. The only time I met him, I was surprised that he and I were about the same height and build.  He had seemed larger than life, starting on Laugh In when I'd first seen him on TV in the Sixties.  The tribute includes some of his work.. Good Will Hunting.. The Dead Poets' Society, Awakenings. Director Penny Marshall talks about a gesture that she'd give Robin when working with DeNiro!  Balls!  She tells it and then Robin tells it. Voices from the grave.

The PBS tribute to Robin pointed up his ups and downs.. his extraordinary talent.. and at last his depression.  

Mindy.. Pam Dauber faces the camera and quietly asks, "Why?... Why?"  

Having had an emotional morning..and now, it's almost three in the afternoon.. seeing this tribute and knowing that Robin is gone now five years.. and how his pals in their special recollections of how we need him now.. and on Facebook how friends seem to need to demean this awful president of the usa...

 we weather through.. 

I watched the special with an eye to emotion and feelings; Tears. And, how deep feelings can serve us.  Finding a way to harness the good stuff and put bad stuff into perspective is a goal. 

It's all fodder for something that I probably can't or won't put a name to.  Had Robin Williams lived..he'd find a silly/important way to put it all into perspective. Most folks I know get hung up on anger and name calling.  I won't do that. 

Long posts on Facebook are usually a bit outre and a bit boring.  So.. if this is that for those who have clicked through, it's not my intention.  I am currently 'in trouble' with a dear friend who, thanks to imperfect email and a bad phone call punishes me by not responding.  "There's nothing to talk about."  Getting over anger is a lesson I learned a long time ago ..taught by the best friend anyone could ever have.. a person who personifies love. I'm grateful for her.

Over a year ago, a misunderstanding and stupidity on my part lost me a friend I'd had for more than thirty years! She was bright and a beauty and funny and smart.. An Artist. 

Not a romance, but what felt like a true friend.  As we allow social media and texts and tweets to fill in for real communication, we withdraw from personal contact.  A pal of mine predicts that movie theaters will be a thing of the past in the future. (he also predicted the demise of Yahoo, so that's not a prediction I see coming).. It's troubling because we need human contact. Kids are no longer on the phone to friends and family, they are texting..or maybe even voice to texting?  We become less human. 

Hearing a former lover's voice on the phone.. she did not sound as I remembered.. was a human moment.  I am not sorry to have made the call. 

Seeing Robin Williams doing his stand up.. acting in one film or another in a clip.. or entertaining the troops in Afghanistan.. showed what human contact is about.  In Good Will Hunting, he's a shrink who has moments that are chilling.  In Dead Poets'..  his character is kicked out of his classroom and his students stand on their desks.. as he changes from Mrs. Doubtfire to his alternate ego and Henry Winkler expounds on the talent of the man playing a scene with himself.. all of this brings us to the loss of a extraordinary talent.. and our times.  

Which brings me to the middle of July in the twentyfirst century. A warm day in Glendale. Mixed feelings about the morning and the motivation for the call and the serendipity of seeing Robin Williams on TV.. to the rest of the day.. an empty Friday with art ideas needing fixing or leaving alone? Missing the SAGAFTRA Film Society and missing the social aspect of standing in a line with friendly faces.. the middle of July.. and a warm day.. and next steps? 

What's next? Next steps? 

michaelsheehan

July 19, 2019

WHAT TO DO? Save the USA? Here's an idea...

October 3, 2018

The memes and rancor on Facebook are not helping. A few folks ask 'what can we do?' and, of course, the answer is to encourage anyone you know who cares about our country, to find representatives in all levels of government, from the local neighborhood association to the national forum.. to find representatives...  who have the best interests of our country at heart.

"At heart" is the key.. at least to me.  We, in the West, tend to be competitive and argumentative and to stiffen our backs at a challenge.  We fight. The 'heart' of the matter turns on the 45th president who seems to be at best inconsistent and at worst emotionally wonky. He condemns all criticism and FIGHTS back... gathering his 'base' in areas of the country where that 'fighting attitude' is still alive and not necessarily 'for' something, but against others. His 'base' seems to have been taught to hate: liberals, ethnic folks who are not 'white' and non Christians.  

When I read the epithets on Facebook, I realize that the polarization of our United States has been encouraged. By whom?  We can guess it's the rancor that comes with Civil Rights, Women's Equality and the fear of "the world will be as one," with thanks to John Lennon.   Walls and 'national pride' and such are based on Fear. Fear that has been stirred up over years and years of making folks think that they will be left out. 

I have compared our current situation to a game of Monopoly.   When someone gets all the 'hot' real estate and is collecting rent like anything from the other players; ego kicks in and sometimes derision either subtle in a friendly game or even mean sometimes: The goal is Winning!  The purpose of the game, of course, is to drive the other players into bankruptcy.  To literally ruin the others and come out 'on top!' That's what some competition is all about, to some folks, anyway. Certainly, in national politics today.

We may forget that Our One Planet survives with cooperation, not with blockades.

It seems to me that the way that the White House is behaving is not in the best interests of our nation or the world.  That said, it's time for U.S. citizens of good will to reach out to others who truly have everyone's best interests at heart and we may begin to wade out of the muck and mire and back onto solid ground.  That means deliberately seeking out folks who may not share our own views: speak our same 'language.'

I have an idea that actual conversations... not FB memes or other truncated electronic communication... in person or even on the phone where there is a semblance of actual personal communication.. and some common ground to begin with.. real communication.. "Nice day, ain't it!".. or "How about them Dodgers?"  And, then, to gently probe the tone and attitude of folks we may not fully agree with.. but. we probably might agree with about the weather or the Dodgers..  

Then.. the 'adult' in the discussion makes an effort to make peace.  Not in a superior way.. though we probably do tend to feel superior sometimes.. but in some other non-confrontational way. Good counselors do this with feuding couples. And, this is what we now have.. on a grand scale: two basic sides who are at odds: big time. Folks are upset, frustrated and some are just plain mad!

  Brokering a way to harmony is not impossible. Name calling and nasty epithets, though they may let off steam, only make other folks upset, frustrated and .... mad!

When Reason starts to bubble up and our frustrations are mitigated by a voice that makes sense to everyone.. (Walter Cronkite where are you when we need you?)   And, honest efforts are made to work together for the betterment of our society and even our selves.. then.. we might find the 'heart' of the United States again and 'peace will guide the planet ... and love with steer the stars..' with thanks to Ragny and Rado... fifty years ago.

Sheehan 

 October 3, 2018

The Bullet

July 24, 2018 

On July 21st when Gene Atkins shot his grandmother seven times; kidnapped his girlfriend, who was also injured and took off from South Los Angeles, evidently, a "Lo Jack" on his grandmother's car alerted the LAPD to his location. No one at Trader Joe's in Silverlake knew what was going on as the police picked up Atkins' car and a chase through the streets of Los Angeles evolved.  Somehow,  Atkins found his way to Silverlake, a hip and friendly neighborhood ten miles north of where the mayhem began.

Whether Melyda Corado, the manager of the Silverlake Trader Joe's, was outside before Atkins crashed in front of her store or came out to investigate what had happened is unclear. Sadly, she  was  killed by 'friendly fire'.. the military term for being shot by someone who is supposed to be on your side. A policeman's bullet ended her life.

For years I have railed about police pursuits and the dangers that the public is placed in when a fleeing suspect is on the run.  That the police were initially in close pursuit and were shot at by the suspect may or may not warrant return of fire.  Of course, every round fired puts not only the cops in danger, but may excite and even enrage them. The public is in the line of fire!  

We seem to have returned to the Wild West in mentality and though the shots coming from the suspect put the police and the public in danger, every shot returned by them  created an equally untenable situation. 

Movies for years have presented exciting 'shoot outs' and gun fights.. The OK Corral is a prime example.  I, myself,  participated in gun fights in Disneyland as a gun fighter and, later, in San Jose at Frontier Village where I learned a great lesson about the power of a .45 single action revolver.  Good guys versus bad guys make for exciting  shows with stunt fighting and "High Noon" such as may still take place at Knott's Berry Farm. It's all very romantic and honestly, the weight of a shootin' iron in the palm of your hand is very seductive.

This is not to call for the end of death and destruction and guns and bullets flying creatively in the movies. This is to examine the Silverlake tragedy. To learn from it.

Police officers are human beings.  Their sworn duty is "To Protect and To Serve" our communities.  Specifically, what we see in this situation in televised reports and dash cam and body cam images, is a frantic chase and the attempt to kill the suspect while he rushed to take refuge in the Silverlake Trader Joe's.  The irony is that Silverlake is an easy going community.  TJ's is also a favorite shopping place because the employees are helpful and friendly and the groceries for sale are fairly priced and are of high quality. There's an artsy feel to shopping and their Fearless Flyer announcing specials is creative.  

How this suspect made his way from South Los Angeles to Silverlake has not been revealed. Was he on the freeway? Did he stay on surface streets?  When confronted by the police, he shot out the back window of his car and may have even struck the LAPD in pursuit. This kicks the chase into a very dangerous situation. How cops can keep their heads and not want to massacre the SOB should be part of their training.  From what I understand an airship was conducting the pursuit. 

The most terrible fact about this case is that a young woman is dead by a bullet shot from a police officer's gun.  She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  In my perfect world, she would have stayed in the store. Why she was outside may be learned later, but we really don't know. Had she been inside, the chances of her death would have been reduced considerably.  

In the heat of the moment, perhaps cops are trained to take the suspect who has fired on them down at all costs.  Did anyone count the number of times he fired? Did he still have ammunition? Did anyone see the type of weapon that he was shooting?  Did he fire at the police as he exited the crashed car and ran into the store?  Will the step by step recollection of these moments be revealed? How far outside the store was Ms Corado when she was shot and killed?

From the TV reports that are still very sketchy, it looked like no fewer than fifteen police vehicles were on the scene with a helicopter over head.. or more than one? A new and fully equipped police car costs about $60,000.00.  That math puts almost a million dollars worth of rolling stock and airships in harm's way, not to mention the cost of the officer's salaries and factoring in the airship(s?)... a lot of effort to bring one man to justice. 

Seeing the military type action outside the Trader Joe's was chilling.  Of course, the goal is to bring the suspect down. However, with the shooting death of Ms Corado, had these officers had a slightly cooler approach, maybe the outcome could have been different.  20/20 hindsight is unfair, but still.  Here I sit,  these few miles away and simply wonder. If I can ever get the attention of law enforcement brass to respond, there may be alternatives to be explored when dire circumstances occur that may mitigate another tragedy. 

We know that we'll forget this incident as others pop up almost daily. It's too soon to figure this horrible situation  out, but by debriefing the officers and witnesses and comparing their statements, we may know more of the whole story.  PTSD will be an issue for not only the cops, but for the shoppers who were cornered in the store as well as neighbors who were peripheral to the incident and the ripple effect to friends and relatives. 

All this is just to say that our romance with guns  will never die. The idea of shooting to stop a fleeing suspect will never go away, especially if you are being fired upon.  What we need to do is examine alternative ways to stop someone on the run that will keep the public and the police safe and find a way to quickly and efficiently put the suspect away.  

We must find new ways to solve this burgeoning issue.  Mental health in 2018 is under fire and it's not difficult to imagine that more stress may lead to more bizarre events. 

 
I have some ideas and hope that the powers that be will respond. It's a very slow process.  But.. with proper training and effort, I hope that it may  make a difference.

Michael Sheehan

Glendale, California

 

FINDING A MEDIATOR?

How I came to the politics I feel comfortable with these days is a mystery.  Growing up in a very conservative town and idolizing an older high school athlete whose family was staunchly Republican, somehow I've come round to 'all we are saying, is give peace a chance.' His logic still astounds me and his analogies, which may make perfect sense to him turn on what I see as 'false premises.'  Any time you debate on a premise that is only partially true or just plain false, you may think you've proved your point, but you really have not.

The recent debacle of the president seeming to side with the president of Russia, then, trying to explain and further muddying the waters, and, now, a recent Time Magazine cover that morphs the Russian and the president is chilling. 

I'd really like to find a way to communicate with 'them'.. the folks who still, in the face of all this 'stuff' going on and see if there might be some middle ground where name calling and limbic reactions might back off and we might find some accord.

For instance: I think that the president's son, Barron, must be a nice kid.  He's out of the public eye mostly, but there we are.  A nice boy, who, like it or not, is in the middle of some of this. We don't ridicule him.  The FLOTUS seems to be making an effort to be a good first lady with her public appearances.  There must be something we may create where the Right and the Left can agree that there is something that's basically okay? 
That I can't think of something is on me.

Paula Foster Chambers is a highly intelligent friend whom I know from the Renaissance Faire days.  A successful business woman and a really nice lady, she has thoughtfully written this essay that we should all take to heart.  

//

"I think we are nearing a point, as a nation, when we have to decide what kind of a nation we want to be. Those who elected Trump have one vision for how they want things to be, and people like me have a completely different vision. I don’t know how on earth we are going to choose, because the country is divided and a sizeable number of Americans will be massively unhappy no matter which is chosen. However, a couple things give me hope.

1) We aren’t as divided as one might think. Russia has meddled with our social media to widen our divisions and, importantly, sow the *perception* that we are hopelessly divided, but we were headed in the right direction before all this went down. Sure there were racists, authoritarians and others who actually wanted the USA to be more like it is now, but they were in the minority, and demographically speaking, they were going the way of the dodo. I STILL think they are going the way of the dodo.

2) It is possible for a country to make a collective commitment to being a certain way, even when not 100% of the population agrees. My travels have convinced me of this. The social protections in place in France, for example, are working and are clearly possible when a high majority wants them. Most recently, I visited the Czech Republic and learned how communism took hold there and then was shaken off by the people in 1989 in what is now called the Velvet Revolution.
We HAVE the power to choose, as a country, what kind of country we want to be."

I agree with Paula and hope that intelligent and thoughtful folks from all sides of the aisle and across our  divided nation will remember that what Lincoln said is even more true today. "A House divided against itself cannot stand." 

There must be a middle of the road mediator who may create an atmosphere of cooperation that we can build on. Suggestions? Whom could the Powers That Be respect enough to allow him/her to mediate a truce? Is there a person out of politics directly who would be respected by everyone? Seriously..  All the folks I can think of lean to the Left.  

I'm reading a book by Michael Pollan called "How to Change Your Mind." There may be answers there.  It would be a radical move! VERY!
michaelsheehan


 

Let Freedom Ring July 4, 2018

July 4, 2018

My main source of connection these days is via social media: email and Facebook.  The tenor of the times on FB is lapsing into rants and sadness that permeates not only the liberal community, but probably the whole world.  

Complaints about the issues of the day.. DACA, border issues to the south, insults to our neighbors to the north and weigh ins by intelligent observers around the world are raising red flags. There's a call for reason, but there's a lot of angst and anger out there.

The reason that I wanted to write something on this day, the anniversary of our celebration of declaring independence has been spurred by the negativity that is rampant in the state of the world today.  I've just sent a note to a long lost relative with the phrase, "Let there be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me." It was written in 1955 by Jill Jackson-Miller and her husband, Sy Miller. (Thanks, Google) It's a hymn.   Church music has always been a source of inspiration and though my crossing the threshold to a church is not an activity that I've done much of in my life, the music has been memorable.   

That said.. If 'peace' is to begin with me.. I hope to encourage all of us to find a way to resist the negativity that is rampant in society now: to stop angry epithets and personal attacks on folks who seem to relish a fight.   Gandhi and MLK taught us something that is difficult for most folks to consider. We in the west, especially, are reactionary at the drop of an insult. Name calling seems to be a national past time!

I don't have specific answers, but I do know that if we allow others to goad us into an argument, that there will be arguing.   By exposing situations we know are wrong and discussing them with reason and working as individuals to create Peace, there may be hope.  We are on a slippery slope, however.. and having felt myself goaded recently by people who seem to have little regard for values that I hold dear, it's a challenge! 

A quote from a comic strip from days gone by just came to me.  "Pogo" by Walt Kelly says, "We have met the enemy and he is us..." We must not be our own enemy.  I just hope we can turn it around.

Be kind to someone today.. Pass it on.