This ‘upset’ over Christie’s show of humanity, is the kind of invective that will be the stake through what’s left of the heart of so-called far-far ‘conservative’ movement …

I say stake through whatever’s left of heart, because Christie is clearly pulling hard for the people of his state to get every help needed. That in my book is righteous, and if ‘the conservatives’ want Christie to spit in the face of a powerful person who can help him help others, if they cannot see the humane subtext– helping those who are without and acting cooperatively–

then they are demonstrating to a huge populace that even when a natural disaster hits, some will put rhetoric ahead of caring for others. And those others witnessing this cold response will keep in mind as they go to vote.

Rhetoric never bound a wound, reclaimed a home, comforted a child, protected an elder, repaired the furnace, sanitized the carpet, found transportation so people could earn their living and feed their families. Rhetoric never restored a treasure lost but faith in humanity gained. Never.

Just to Governor Christie: All political parties need renewal or else they go dead, pushed and pulled by old scars, instead of by wise leaders with fresh and effective reactions that actually serve the people. Carry on in as much dignity as possible. Pay no attention to detractors about your sincerity this week. You stand at a crossroads, to continue forward in this new vision, or to be pulled backward by those who like a bad lover, never want you to change, even when it behooves you to learn and grow, even when it helps so many human beings thrive. Many are watching you and pulling for you and for the people harmed by this storm– to be restored. To full humanity. You’ll not regret acting as a statesman, as a smart man of great heart. You may set example for many, unwittingly or on purpose. Carry on.

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The image is from Vera Cruz, a PreColumbian artwork showing the humanity of a person inside the fierce persona of the jaguar. The VeraCruzaños in the 1500s and earlier made these Remojadas, to portray that a person is complex, that the heart and mind, body and soul of a human being has many resources, to act as warranted in ways that are most effective. Not just one way, but logically as well as instinctively. In this particular sculpture, the human being is said to be singing-praying. This piece is also related in motif to some of the Tlingkit and Kwakutl masks which the tribes carve showing various creatures with open mouths, and hidden within the mouth is a human figure ready to be born.