On the eve of the 2024 election, I asked the question, “Does character still matter?”
Quite early into the evening of November 5, America would learn the answer: A resounding, ghastly “No!”
The following day, lacking the words to express my own sadness and disappointment, I quoted the words of several Americans (and one Canadian) from their Letters to the Editor of the New York Times.
And here we are, two weeks after that disastrous night as the consequences of that “mandate”* are becoming frighteningly clear.
Trump’s odious, un-American intentions and plans are unmistakably reflected in his “transition” preparations, such as his proposed appointments of corrupt, incompetent, extremist loyalists — bent on retribution — to critical positions in his cabinet and executive office.
Also, his plan to declare a national emergency and use the military to carry out mass deportations is pure shock and awe, an eerie reminder of the Palmer Raids of Jewish and Italian immigrants of 1919 and even bringing back memories of Kristallnacht 86 years ago.
Millions of eloquent words have already been written by experts and pundits expressing disdain at the results of the election and fear of what the future holds.
The most powerful, sincere sentiments, however, are generally expressed by “regular” Americans in their neighbor-to-neighbor conversations, in their blogs and in letters to the editors of their local newspapers.
Here is one written by a good friend, Doris Rogers, and published by her local newspaper in beautiful Port Aransas:
Well, Americans, we can no longer say, “This is not who we are.” By a majority of voters, we have told the world that this is who we are – a nation that supports raping women, lying, foul abusive language, grifting, cheating workers, sexism, racism, demeaning others, criminal acts, etc. We are now supporting denial of women’s right to determine their lives, a theocracy of Christianity over democracy, denial of every citizen’s right to health care, denial of freedom to read and receive an education based on critical thinking, a belief in the superiority of white males over all others, and higher prices to pay on all imported goods.
What can we do to put our country back on track to be a democracy? At this point, I don’t really know. I do know I will continue to treat all people with respect, act honorably and look for opportunities to prevent the destruction of democracy. Benjamin Franklin was asked what had been created with the new nation. His reply was, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Let’s work together to make sure this republic continues to move forward to being a “shining beacon of light on the hill” that welcomes and respects all people.
While we are quoting, I just read a poem that seems to be hauntingly timely and pertinent.
It is Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s “Pity the Nation,” written in 2007 and inspired by Lebanese American Kahlil Gibran’s poem of the same title first published in 1933.
Pity the nation whose people are sheep
And whose shepherds mislead themPity the nation whose leaders are liars
Whose sages are silenced
And whose bigots haunt the airwavesPity the nation that raises not its voice
Except to praise conquerors
And acclaim the bully as hero
And aims to rule the world
By force and by torturePity the nation that knows
No other language but its own
And no other culture but its ownPity the nation whose breath is money
And sleeps the sleep of the too well fedPity the nation oh pity the people
who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed awayMy country, tears of thee
Sweet land of liberty!
And here are a few lines from Khalil Gibran’s 1933 poem:
Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero, and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful.
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Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox, whose philosopher is a juggler, and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking.
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Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpetings, and farewells him with hootings, only to welcome another with trumpetings again.
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Pity the nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a nation.
* A popular vote “mandate” that doesn’t appear to be “all that.”
