Courtesy of Bruce Hornsby/Don Henley

“O’ beautiful, for spacious skies
But now those skies are threatening
They’re beating plowshares into swords
For this tired old man that we elected king
Armchair warriors often fail
And they’ve been poisoned by these fairy tales
The lawyers clean up all details
Since daddy had to lie”

This goes back over 30 years and the fact that it is still relevant and not simply a nod to the past is very concerning to me. The idea that festering hate and division has not only come, full blown, to the surface but is encouraged and proselytized among a significant portion of our nation has to scare the crap out of most folks.

Well organized hate groups, elected legislators touting scare tactics like “Jewish Space Lasers” and minimizing school shootings (to the point of these same folks saying publicly that such things were staged or hoaxes), networks giving voice to these ludicrous antics all giving “permission” to those who want to divide.

While FDR did say “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” I think today, the fear mongers are using everything in their favor to have the fear grow.

Are we perfect? Far from it, but does hate and the thought that one group is superior to any other, that one religion or belief system should dominate really make things better? I’d argue just the opposite. Why are there so many who are so unwilling to learn historical lessons from the past of this nation alone (Slavery, Anti Semitic hate, NINA (No Irish Need Apply) signs in store windows etc. Hate and discrimination know no boundaries, yet all should be aware….

Seems like, on this dreary, cold, Sunday, as we await a physical storm in CT, it would be the right place to end with this….a reflection on different type of storm, one that can’t be cleaned up with simply shovels, plows, salt and sand….Be kind and be helpful:

“First they came . . .” by Martin Niemoller

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”