ThingsPondered

(Warning: Not for the weak-stomached or faint of heart.)

In late winter 2003, the United States of America had a President named George W. Bush.  He was, at that time, exploiting the 9/11 attack on our country in order to promote war on Iraq.  This war-making would be very beneficial to his and his friends’ financial interests and, he hoped, to his political career.  A rather weak-willed citizenry followed him like the proverbial drove of dumb sheep.

It was my blessing (or curse) to see then that this would be another Vietnam-like fiasco and waste of lives.  Thus, I participated in a march for peace (also known as anti-war) in the nation’s capitol.  This was on the Ides of March, 2003.  A month later, the USA entered the protested war. 

For the sake of historians who relish primary sources, I would like to publicly report the text on signs of my fellow marchers.  A thorough knowledge of the players, allies, scapegoats, and the nation’s mood and contemporary pop culture will be needed to understand some of the messages. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

How did our oil get under their sand?

Read my apoca-lips.

Dad, I need money for gas.  Can I start a war?

Chiracq for American president.

Merci, France!  Danke, Deurschland!

Empty warheads in White House.

W stands for wrong.

The Pope, France, Germany, and Daddy can’t all be wrong.

Make love on a rock.

Drunken draft dodger drives country into ditch.

Bush: war-whore.  Whose missile is bigger?  (This accompanied by racy cartoon drawing with a missile replacing a male anatomical feature.)

(A sign carried by a young woman:  ) 

The only BUSH I trust is my own.

We know Saddam has the weapons because we have the receipts.

Support our troops:  Bring them home!

Tea for peace delegates                                    $325

Conference room                                            $1,80

Hotel rooms                                                     $3,445

           PEACE                                                   PRICELESS!         

I miss sex in the White House.

Who would Jesus bomb?

I’m in shock but not in awe.

Frodo has lost.  Bush has the ring.

No child left behind really means send them to Iraq.

(On an 8-year-old boy’s T-shirt:  ) 

Am I collateral damage?

A sandwich-board sign on a jack Russell terrier…

(One side) Little Dog for Peace.

(Other side) He’s not my President!

Now, in 2009, many more people agree with the marchers.  A bit late, I say.  Hopefully, we will finally remember history so as to avoid being condemned to repeat it.

With much irony:  Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. *

Maren E. Morgan-Thomson

·         *It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.

I really don’t care whether and when the U.S. government announces that the country is in a recession or a depression (although I doubt we will have a declaration of depression – what a downer.  Can you imagine what the emotion-driven stock market’s reaction would be?)  Folk signs of our recession have been clear for over a year.  All the while that Dubya’s toadies were denying it, we common folk in service and retail businesses knew it was here.

I remember reading a Wall Street Journal article about broom sales.  It proposed that declines in broom sales indicated tough economic times.  As the households of the rank and file feel the pinch, one of the money-saving decisions is to “make do” with the old broom instead of splurging on a new one.  Other industries show this making do with what we have: carpet cleaning and plastic surgery.  Both of these have experienced less activity over the last two years.  Many of us knew in which direction the country  was heading.

Saving versus spending.  I am not an economist.  Therefore, it baffles me that we citizens are urged to spend money that we do not have.  A less drastic, yet equally mystifying, notion is that we are encouraged to spend what money we DO have.  Why isn’t saving for retirement, for long-term care, for a rainy day, a good thing?  It sounds good to me.  Actually, it sounds downright mature and responsible.  I guess I will never understand.  Nonetheless, a depression will be a very personal challenge.

My grandparents and parents survived the one in the 1930’s.  I know intellectually that I can, too. But the practical aspects are utterly scary. 

This morning on my way to work I heard an expression on the radio which really caught my attention.  It was “… this morning, President Obama…” read by the newscaster just as naturally as could be.  It made my heart sing.  Furthermore, it made me realize how huge a burden has been weighing me down for the last eight years.

Of, course the whole debacle of the undecided election, Florida, the chads, the coincidence that one of the candidates had a brother as governor…we remember that.  So, that group of incidences led many American citizens to feel that Dubya was not the winner of the election and not THEIR president.  I was a member of this group.  Before the United States started sending its military to Gulf War Part Two, I travelled to Washington, D.C. to participate in an anti-war march.  There were many marchers (and their pets) with signs declaring “He’s not MY president.”  I couldn’t agree more heartily.  In fact, I could not bear to hear that baboon’s voice.  For the last eight years, I have been switching the station whenever G.W.Bush came on the radio or television.  Why? Because he was an imposter impersonating a president.

Now, today, we have a real President!  O Joy of Joys!  What a fantastic feeling of relief I have!  I did not appreciate how much I was hating the expression “President of the United States” until now.  Fortunately, those days are over. I think that the election of Barack Obama is one of the greatest and most momentous events in my lifetime!  Way to go, bro!

Since the Guatanamo Bay detention camp has such a bad rep and bad karma, it is a source of embarrassment to the administration.  We hear that President Obama would like to close it as one of his earliest executive actions.  Nevertheless, if the prison is shut down, does ANYONE think that the prisoners themselves are going to just vaporize?  No, they need to be relocated.  And what better place than an area with some elbow room, an area close to the Dubya man who believes in phantom weapons of mass destruction: Crawford, Texas?  After all, the detention center was created during his “reign.”

Consider the repercussions: perhaps leaders will think harder when making a decision.  Perhaps they will  adopt the Native American “seventh generation” requirement: that in making a decision, the leader must consider the consequences, not only for the moment but for the next generation, for the generation after that, and for up to seven generations from the time of the decision.  THAT would be an improvement.  What if it had existed when energy-wasting inventions and transportation modes were being pumped out?

In the meantime, let Dubya enjoy his life as a private citizen with some good ole boys from the cells of Gitmo down the street or around the corner.  Show them some good ole American hospitality.  As Mr. Rogers said, “Gee, won’t you be my neighbor?”

The television news programs state that the number of personnel serving as security for this inauguration is four times larger than the number for the previous one.  Those of us who have little use for “W” find this totally reasonable.  However, the increase in the technology of terrorism also makes it appropriate.  Lastly, there are unfortunately a few nut cases left walking around free and unrestrained who still embrace racial prejudice.  On this most momentous and historic inauguration of a black man, the United states cannot allow a hater to harm the President.

Besides the uniformed and plainclothes security people handling the movement of VIPs and the crowd, consider what other people must be involved.  This is, in some ways, a performance.  It is a huge performance requiring a “crew.”  There must be people to handle “costumes;” equipment such as stands, telecommunications, and vehicle maintenance; first aid, and food service .  All of these people must be at the highest level of security clearance, trustworthiness, and competence.

I am thrilled enough just to be alive and watching this historic event on television.  What a story the crewpeople will be able to tell: perhaps something such as “I did an emergency hem repair for Michelle Obama.”

As Uncle Jay, of Uncle Jay Explains the News , says: this Inauguration is going to be “momentous.”  It is our country’s first dark-skinned President and first dark-skinned First Lady.  Just as my parents never thought they would live to see people land on the moon, I did not think I would live to see an African-American president of the United States.  We are extremely pleased that we are witnessing these events in the progress of humankind.

I offer this prayer in honor of the occasion:

Dear Kind and Loving God of Goodness:

Please keep the Obama family, both the nuclear family and the extended relatives, safe in eye of your care.  Please have all the guardian angels and spirits on duty and all the apprentice angels in on the act.  Thank you for this momentous moment in the history of our country, a country that tries hard to do the right thing but sometimes stumbles.  Let the Inauguration Day be a joyful celebration of a fitting and proud step for our citizens and for all your purposes.

The first African-American First Lady will start her reign in a few days and the country is wishing her and her family much success.  Happily, a few trail-blazers, notably Hilary Clinton, have encouraged the American public to regard the First Lady as more than a woman whose clothing and hairstyle must be inspected and dissected at every turn.  Therefore, let’s have the media boycott mention of Michelle’s clothing.  Please.

Michelle Obama is an attorney, an activist, and a mother of young children.  She has many options for how she will direct her energy and we can support her in whatever roles she chooses.   Also, we can support her decision about how much limelight she attracts.  From what I can tell, getting the family settled in the new house and schools is her first priority.  Although the public may be clamoring for news about Mrs. Obama, our closest token to royalty, I am betting that she keeps level-headed control over her life, as always.

Mazel tov, Mrs. Obama!

After Barack Obama was elected in early November, I decided to learn more about him.  Since he is a prolific writer, what better way than to read one of his books?  The one fate led me to is The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream  (2006).  I was impressed by both his comfortable writing style and his sensible philosophy.

You must understand that I am so completely disinterested in politics that I would probably choose enduring a root canal over watching a show such as “Meet the Press.”  I am just not wired to examine politics and politicians.  So, I am relieved that the book was somewhat readable.  It is a breath of fresh air to realize Obama is self-deprecating and can laugh at himself.

Over and over he showed an understanding and sensitivity to seeing all the sides of an issue.  This totally supports his assertion that “we have a stake in one another, and that what binds us together is greater than what drives us apart (p.2).”  I feel that we are a lucky nation to welcome such a man to the Presidency.

If you can immediately answer that question (as can I), then I know how old you are.  Or, at least I know your minimum age.  In fact, it was a great age-estimator question for me when I was dating “the second time around.”

Now for the rest of you, the particular Kennedy (because there certainly are a gaggle of them) is JFK, John Fitzgerald Kennedy.  He was the 35^th President of the United States, serving from 1961 to 1963.  Although I was a mere child with absolutely NO interest in the world beyond my immediate neighborhood, I was touched by his vitality and youth via osmosis from the mind-set  of the adult world.  Not only Americans, but much of the “free world” was enamored of him.   To say he was charismatic grossly under-describes his appeal.

Therefore, when he was gunned down in Dallas right before Thanksgiving, anyone who was age five or older had the tragedy’s events imprinted on his consciousness forever.  Everyone aware of it knows exactly where he or she was when she heard, exactly what part of the day she heard, and exactly how she learned it. 

For younger Americans, the day of the disintegration of the space shuttle Challenger in January 1986 may be equivalent.  For all who were aware, the attack of 9/11 2001 is the same.

A few sage individuals recognized that the United States’ Gulf Wars One and Two were subterfuges to control property (oil) which was not ours.  Energy dependency is an ugly addiction.  It leads the addict to lie, cheat, and steal.  Instead of veiling ugly greed with political ruses and artifices, let’s take the high road.  God gave us the sun’s light and heat.  Let’s use them.

Federal legislation often appropriates just about any area it wants.  How? By contending that the matter is related to the Commerce clause.  Ah, that Constitution and its division of powers can come in handy.   Therefore, it should not be too problematical for the feds to encourage and reward the development of competitive and effective solar energy for homes and businesses.

Other federal laws have created all sorts of rapid and inconvenient (as viewed by some) mandates. A recent example is the ADA, the Americans with Disability Act.  Within that law, accommodations are required in schools and businesses for individuals with disabilities.  The standard is supposed to be for“reasonable” accommodations, but  American lawsuit-wary companies have gone to extraordinary lengths to make changes (in my opinion).  So, if we can flip out businesses over wheelchair ramps, why can’t we flip them out over green roofs and solar collectors?

Federal laws for compulsory solar energy use will boost the economy, not by our traditional routine of having defense industries gearing up, but by having energy industries exploding.  In addition to saving the earth’s climate, there will be another handsome result: less inappropriate dependency on foreign energy resources.  Furthermore, we can improve world opinion of us.  Let’s abandon our appearance as a bunch of greedy, controlling pigs. The American people can turn energy production concepts upside-down with a little encouragement from the federal government.