Monday Musings

What a busy holiday we just had!  It was great fun, but then I completely deflated.  Sunday afternoon I didn't get dressed until three o'clock.  Maybe four.  I can't remember.  The husband made a great ham and cheese omelet, which we had at 11:30.  He had brought me coffee in bed at 8:30 (because he is a dear man) and I lolled around until 9:30 before rising.  Sometimes I worry he thinks I am a world class slouch, because this is the kind of thing I would think of anyone who sleeps as much as I do (and enjoys it as enthusiastically).

We hosted a lunch on Friday with my new family finally meeting my 'old' family.  It was a food laden, beveragelicious, soccer playin' affair.  Not enough room at the dining table, so I fashioned a table outside.  Luckily, it didn't rain until Saturday.

My husband's daughter has the most delightful in-laws.  They were born and raised in New York City and I had great fun meeting them.  So much so, that I told my husband we should go visit them sometime.  Seriously.  Sophisticated and funny, loving and brash, they are what I affectionately call "My People."  I have always appreciated New Yorkers and would love to live there myself if it weren't, ah, New York.  It's the weather, frankly.  Everything else: love it.

Anyway, there were New Yorkers there, and a son-in-law from Senegal. I know NOTHING of Senegal, other than it is a West African country.  He had a beautiful accent, and a great command of English, French and, I assume, his native tongue.  He is very dark skinned, and his 2 year son is a luscious caramel brown.  We were talking about how great it will be when everyone in the world has children with everyone else and there will be no more divides along so called racial lines.  We're all one race as it is.  In any case, we didn't discuss the events in Ferguson or the general racism of these United States.  But it struck me that, because that adorable toddler is brown, perceived "black" in the U.S., his parents will probably have "the talk" with him. 

Late in the day on Saturday, I heard about the case of police shooting a man in Walmart.  Shopping while black was the apparent motive.

I watched the video.  Guy picks up a pellet gun which Walmart is selling.  Then he wanders the store talking to his girlfriend on a cell phone.  Someone freaks (black man with a gun!!!) and calls 911, giving misleading and incriminating information.  Cops rush in and shoot him.  In a store which ALLOWS patrons to 'open carry' guns, by the way.

I am disgusted.  This happened in August, while everyone was up in arms over the Michael Brown case, and this case slipped under the news media wire until now.  Because, of course, the Grand Jury will not indict the police officer.

Apparently, if you are a black male in Amerika, it is not safe to venture outside at all. 

On the plus side, there is a great video of a citizen standing up to police in a Washington DC suburb.  This citizen was not shot, because she is white.  This is something worth watching.




 Peace and Goodwill to all.  Let's keep moving forward, together.