All the King's Men
When I was around 9-10 years old, I recall asking my mother, "What is the difference between a republican and a democrat?" After a few seconds of thought, she replied, "With republicans, it's about me, with democrats, it's about us." "I'm a democrat," I shot back. A good three decades later, those simple descriptions remain pretty spot on. Reagan scaled back regulations to pat the back of the rich and ignored the AIDS epidemic for years. W cut taxes for his pals and thwarted thousands of the most vulnerable into a war based on lies. Obama gave us health care and saved millions from the brink of financial ruin. Sure, politics as a whole can be taxing and unsettling, but the lazy way we can sometimes throw republicans and democrats into the same pot as "politicians" is shortsighted and dangerous.
Take today. Outside of cold-blooded, greedy, soulless suits, who would be in favor of today's "health care bill?" This is right vs. wrong. And as is basically always the case, the GOP are knowingly on the wrong side. And in this case, at a catastrophic cost. I have friends who are now at risk. Grave risk. And I can't imagine how far that extends when you move away from the coasts and into the heartland. How on earth is expanded health care a bad thing? Even if we all have to chip in a bit more. Are we that lacking in depth and concern for our fellow citizen? How is someone who makes a solid salary not willing to forego a little bit more for the common good? I just don't get it. I never will.
We are led by monsters. Donald Trump. Paul Ryan. Mitch McConnell. These are bad men. And that's how history will remember them. They are the Strom Thurmand and George Wallace's of the present.
I wish I could say that I feel for our country. But, at least today, I don't. Our country elected these awful men and women. And every single person who cast a vote for Donald J. Trump is culpable here. To select this animal over a woman who had dedicated four decades to public service, is simply unforgivable. The cost too high and damage irreversible. It's on you. We can only hope that the mountain of damage doesn't completely destroy the union. It will certainly destroy lives. I don't feel for our country. I feel for our most vulnerable. At least in my lifetime, they've probably never needed a welcome hand more than they do now.
And here I thought I was only going to write about music....
Take today. Outside of cold-blooded, greedy, soulless suits, who would be in favor of today's "health care bill?" This is right vs. wrong. And as is basically always the case, the GOP are knowingly on the wrong side. And in this case, at a catastrophic cost. I have friends who are now at risk. Grave risk. And I can't imagine how far that extends when you move away from the coasts and into the heartland. How on earth is expanded health care a bad thing? Even if we all have to chip in a bit more. Are we that lacking in depth and concern for our fellow citizen? How is someone who makes a solid salary not willing to forego a little bit more for the common good? I just don't get it. I never will.
We are led by monsters. Donald Trump. Paul Ryan. Mitch McConnell. These are bad men. And that's how history will remember them. They are the Strom Thurmand and George Wallace's of the present.
I wish I could say that I feel for our country. But, at least today, I don't. Our country elected these awful men and women. And every single person who cast a vote for Donald J. Trump is culpable here. To select this animal over a woman who had dedicated four decades to public service, is simply unforgivable. The cost too high and damage irreversible. It's on you. We can only hope that the mountain of damage doesn't completely destroy the union. It will certainly destroy lives. I don't feel for our country. I feel for our most vulnerable. At least in my lifetime, they've probably never needed a welcome hand more than they do now.
And here I thought I was only going to write about music....
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