Monday Musings

Never forget, these are the people that support the un-indicted co-conspirator.  Threatening to burn down and shoot up a civil rights museum.  Calling staff and threatening them and spitting their fowl language.  This happened when he was running for office.  I've been to this fine museum, and most of the staff are college kids from surrounding schools in North Carolina.  What a lesson they received on "how far we've come."

If you haven't seen the special edition Frontline presentation on the president, I highly recommend it.  Don't say you can't stomach it.  None of us can.  But it is a must see.  I remember all but one of the events, and it is stunning to see this presidency step by step, beginning with the days just after the election.  Never forget.  These are the crimes which will, hopefully, come back to haunt him and land him in jail or at the very least national disgrace.

Last Friday on Real Time Bill interviewed one of my favorite public figures: Doris Kearns Goodwin. She has written many books on our U.S. Presidents and she is one of the historians I enjoy hearing from the most.  Bill was getting hysterical over his idea that if the Orange One loses the 2020 election, he will not leave the White House.  She insisted, and I believe her, that he will be carried out if he tries to circumvent the election.  Of course we could be wrong, but I don't think so.  Kearns Goodwin also reminds us that there have been crises throughout our history that we have overcome.  The turmoil that led to the rise of Abraham Lincoln, in one case.  The Great Depression that gave us Roosevelt and our social safety nets we now enjoy (and must continue to fight for), the social unrest around poverty and racism that led to President Johnson pushing through the voting rights act and social programs to combat the problems of the day.  These are all initiatives that the current administration, and Republicans for 40 years, have been attempting (sometimes successfully) to roll back.  They must constantly be advocated for.  Especially now with the SCOTUS being packed with conservative judges. 

Here's an interesting idea I also heard on Real Time:  If the SCOTUS had not ruled in favor of Bush during that contested election, if the Electoral College had not been won by the Orange One, then Al Gore and Hillary Clinton would have appointed the judges to the Supreme Court that would have given us a SEVEN to TWO liberal majority.  Imagine.  Think about that one.  And the Orange Menace is currently stacking the Federal Courts with conservative judges.  That's the pipeline for the Supreme Court.

Don't give up.  Support organizations that are working to keep checks and balances in the court system.  Here is a list of 'progressive' organizations, some of which are keeping track of the appointment of conservative Judges.

I also encourage taking extra good care of our mental/spiritual/physical health during these turbulent

Carmel Beach

times. We're heading down to Monterey later in the week.  I was going to cancel due to my physical health crap, but found out  that our hotel reservations are NON-REFUNDABLE.  Ouch.  I did cancel the kayaking part of the trip because I know I'm not up for that.  But hanging out eating good food and taking pictures in scenic Carmel, Pacific Grove and Monterey, yeah, I can do that.  Note to self (and to you, dear reader):  book directly with a hotel.  Do NOT use Reservations.com or any other similar site for that matter.  Old school, from now on.  On the upside, we get to be a beautiful corner of the world for a couple of days.  Yay for us.  A much needed mental health break.

Here's to a week full of hope, good health, and communing with nature!