Everything that Fitz the spirit

Of a blue Monday in November

Who wants to move to a Blue-topia?

“I want to move outside of the country. I do. This election was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I can’t live here anymore.”

“Really. Moving to Canada are we?”

“No. Canada seems to be in flux..I was thinking of…”

“Somewhere in Europe like Portugal, Spain or Ireland?”

“No. I want to move someplace where I’m surrounded by progressives like me.”

“Somewhere blue.”

“Like New Zealand.”

“Their politics is shifting.”

“I’m screwed! Is there no refuge?”

“I know a place. The place I’m thinking of has been a sanctuary city more than once.”

“Yeah? Is it a good place to wait out the occupation by the Trump regime?”

“No place safer. The place is lousy with Democrats. They call the place the ‘the blue wall’ in the state where it’s located.”

“What about the climate?”

“It’s a very climate conscious place. They bank their water. It gets hot but with this climate that’s the least of your worries.”

“Sounds like a place I could call home. What about resistance to Trump’s moves?”

“The place is packed with progressives ready to resist the Trump regime.” And protect those it threatens.”

“Sounds good… how about arts and culture?”

“Rich in it. Truly diverse. Thriving Latino and LGBTQ community, It’s a university town. And it’s beautiful and it’s progressive. Welcoming.”

“Where is it? Is it an island?”

“Some people have described it as an island. And it’s as blue as the sky.”

“Okay. I give up. Where is this haven?”

“ It’s called Tucson.“

Ridiculous introspection

As conservatives crow over Trump’s victory, progressives are engaging in ridiculous introspection detailing absurd masochistic autopsies.

What a load of crap.

It was always a contest between the people and billionaires. The billionaires won and the working people lost and will lose their gains in the next two-years. This was a victory for the con man over the common man, propelled by high-dollar hucksters and low propensity and low information voters. Babbitts and Hobbits.

The Democratic Party offered the best path forward and the smartest policies to address our challenges in 2024. End of sentence.

Manufactured fear and anger over immigration and the economy and cultural claptrap like book bans and trans kids shaped the vote. End of sentence.

Our citizenry abandoned reason for lies. End of sentence.

The issue is not whether those who are for reason should abandon reason, but whether those who abused their free speech right to enslave others with lies should be rewarded in our democracy.

On election day we voters rewarded those forsaking reason and truth by handing them a centuries old democratic republic. I hope these voters remain sufficiently vigilant to bear witness.

Talking to your kids

“Billy lied, mom. He stole the cookies.” Billy’s sister, Suzy, had caught him red handed.

Bill folded his freckled arms around the cookie jar and looked up at his amused mom. As he stuffed a cookie into his face he said, “The President lies all the time and you all voted for him.”

Mom put her hands on her hips and glared at the boy. “Put the cookies back, Billy.”

“What cookies? I don’t see any cookies.”

Suzy groaned. “See, mom? Billy lies. And he cheats constantly. Cheater! Cheater! ”

Billy grinned as he devoured a third cookie. “So what, you lying low IQ piece of garbage. So did Trump. He cheated and mom, and he’s your dear leader now. He owns both of you. And because I’m a boy I own you, too!”

“Did you hear that? Billy is a pig, mom, a huge spoiled pig who -”

Billy dumped the cookie jar contents on Suzy’s head. “-treats women like garbage. And you are a stupid girl, Lying Suzy. Ha, ha, ha!”

As Suzy plucked cookie crumbs from her hair she shrieked and pointed at her grinning brother. “Mom, I heard Billy call people bad words!”

“Mom,” said Billy, ”are you going to let my c—t of a sister talk to me like that?”

“Billy called Mrs. Johnson the ‘N word’ and I saw him call a boy a ‘filthy kike’ and Sara told me he urinated on a Latino student’s locker at school.”

Mom looked at Billy. He was smug and self-righteous. She looked at Suzy who was crying and covered with cookie crumbs. Billy called her a “Woke snowflake faggot.”

Billy’s mom called Billy’s dad away from watching Fox news into the room. Billy’s dad was untroubled. “Come here,son.” He patted the boy on his head. “Go easy on him girls. Don’t worry your pretty little heads over his little fun. Maybe our fine boy will grow up to be President one day.”

Our Departing Department of Education

Those happy to see the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education proposed by President-elect Donald Trump base their delight on nonsense peddled by the right-wing lie machine about the agency created by the Carter administration.

With the U.S. Department of Education gone they believe the states will be free to champion parents’ rights which means we’ll see more book banning and grooming hysteria by the formerly “oppressed” bigots and trolls who turned school board meetings into feverish Evangelical rallies with a raging Spanish Inquisition flavor.

With the U.S. Department of Education gone they believe the states will be free to end “social indoctrination” in classrooms which means they will be free to continue their despicable jihad against gay, bi and trans children.

With the U.S. Department of Education gone they believe the states will be free to protect patriotism in their school’s curriculum which means more flags, jingoism, bullshit history lessons and mandatory Trump reverence.

With the U.S. Department of Education gone they believe their states will be free to stop illegal immigration’s impact on schools which means teachers will be asked to rat out those illegal students and their families.

With the U.S. Department of Education gone they believe their states will be able to block “foreign influence” in their schools which means God knows what.

In short, dismantling the Department of Education will teach rube states what happens when their state’s schools go total Gilead on the children of the citizenry and the result is a spike in suicides, dropouts and teen pregnancy.

Dismantling the Department of Education will teach Americans the merits of the secular state in the worst possible way.

On the bright side

As history unfurls it seems the right wins power and progressives win cultural victories. And thus we sail gradually forward across the lake of time in a Z-pattern.

When the wind again catches our sails we must be ready with a plan to acheive the following:

• Campaign reform. Eliminate money from politics.

• Challenge the Court’s ruling that money is free speech.

• Pass the John Lewis Voters Protection Act.

• Pass an Equal Rights Amendment.

• Pass Univeral healthcare.

• Free school lunches.

• Ban combat weapons

• Eliminate the Electoral College.

• Enlarge and stack the Supreme Court.

• Impeach members of the Supreme Court

That will be a worthy start.

A Fine Rant

A friend shared a rant that may resonate with you. He prefers anonymity.

My fellow citizens:

For the first time in my 65 years of walking this earth, I’m ashamed of being an American. 

Not because Trump won the election, but because of the PLATFORM which helped him win.  Needless rhetoric, the personal attacks on his colleagues, the name calling, etc.   

Three days before election day, he was talking publicly about Liz Chaney being placed before a firing squad.  The week before that, he talked publicly about not feeling bad if journalists were shot, should a potential assassin have to attack them, to get to him.  That same week, he allowed a “controversial” comedian to attack Puerto Rican Americans AND their homeland, claiming that he knew “nothing” about it.

These weren’t conversations in “locker rooms”, these were TELEVISED events.

Weeks before that, he constantly “boasted” about how he would fire Jack Smith, and go after his political enemies, even mentioning that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden should be imprisoned.

During his campaign, he PUBLICLY stated again and again, how the 2020 election was STOLEN, (all the while, knowing that he was spewing lies) and praised those who attacked the capital on January 6^th; as “patriots”, even promising pardons for participants.

Then he wins the election and in his acceptance speech, states how he wants to “unify” the country…

…and you fell for it…

America, you’ve closed your eyes….

You’ve closed your eyes to all the things he’s done over the past 12 years…the attacks on our military leaders including John McCain, who spent 5 ½ years as a POW, where torture and daily beatings were as common as breakfast for us in the morning.

…while Trump did all he could to avoid being drafted.

…You’ve closed your eyes to his treatment of women, lies about numerous affairs, public attacks on his accusers, publicly boasting about how certain women were either “beautiful” or “not his type”.

…You’ve closed your eyes to the promise of dismantling the National Board of Education, and putting Robert Kennedy Jr, a politician without medical or social service experience, in charge of our public health facilities.

…You’ve closed your eyes to his public racial rhetoric, attacking minorities like our Haitian communities, African Americans, Latino and Asian communities, as well as the handicapped.

…You’ve closed your eyes to the “Separation of Church and State” clause in our constitution and are allowing him to push for Christian prayer and values in our schools while excluding the rights and religious freedoms of other sectors.

…You’ve closed your eyes to a leader who has turned his back on the LGBTQ community, knowing that YOU have friends and family members who will be affected.

…You’ve closed your eyes to his statements about our southern border, and how so many Mexicans who are coming across are murderers, drug dealers, and rapists, when you knew that the numbers of folks who met that criteria were exaggerated. Nonetheless, there was little (if any) talk about those from European countries (or Canada) whose visas have expired and who are here illegally.  There was little talk about all of those involved in school or public shootings who were American citizens, including at least two who attempted to “take him out”, or statements made by him about gun control to protect those who “weren’t getting raped or murdered” by those with Hispanic last names.

…You’ve closed your eyes to, after years of protesting of behalf of law enforcement, the behavior of the man who led the coup against the US Capital, where police officers were either injured or killed, and attackers were considered, “patriots”.

You bought it…the idea that he will indeed “unite” the country, when he couldn’t do that the first time or during his run as a candidate.

You bought it…the idea that he cares about ALL our citizens, after personal attacks on specific ethnicities, and countrymen/women, INCLUDING those who either questioned his leadership, or presented opposition.

You bought it…his immorality; years of losing in courts to everything from cheating charities, failed businesses, bankruptcy filings, cheating on his taxes, and of course, personal assaults on women.

You bought it…along with the bibles, tennis shoes, and trading cards that he peddled because the man who was “so rich”, owned all this real estate and a few airplanes; needed more money.

You traded your expectations of leadership…strong character, true morals, kindness, maturity…all for the sake of “cheaper gas prices”.

No longer can you complain about Al Franken’s behavior before he was a senator.  No longer can you mention Bill Clinton’s shenanigans behind closed doors.

Heck, you can’t even complain about the morality of teachers who create their own “Only Fans” page to help pay bills…

…all because you closed your eyes and sent a convicted felon (34 times) BACK to the White House.

Enjoy the prices at the gas pumps…and good luck teaching your children how to be caring, trustworthy, courteous, kind, accepting, and loving members of society.

Anonymous

“It’s like an alternate reality,” she said.

“It’s like living in an alternate reality,” she said to her husband in their garden as she watered their potted plants. “I feel like I’ve been swallowed up by it. The world I knew is gone. In this new reality facts don’t matter. Lies don’t matter. Cruelty is acceptable.’ She paused to pluck a weed. “Mass shootings will just be shrugged off as just a part of life.”

He leaned on his rake. “What did we progressives get wrong?”

She sat down the watering can and reached for the hummingbird juice. “Are we really elite woke snobs?”

He laughed. “Are we really out of touch with the majority of Americans?”

She answered as she reached for the hummingbird feeder. “Yes, we are. And I thank God for it. I’m proud to be out of touch with them. Bunch of weirdos. Religious fanatics. Racists. Nazis! We got nothing wrong. I have no clue what God the majority of the white Christians who voted for that dirt bag worship but I can tell you this: it ain’t my Jesus.”

“You’re an atheist.”

“And I know the Gospels better than many. And they’re full of shit!”

“Speaking of which it’s time to turn the compost. This is no time to give up on the garden.”

She agreed. “Mm..I think it’s like being on the set of the Truman show. Nothing will change until our MAGA neighbors see the cracks in the dome above their heads, the growing cracks their news sources will work to hide from them. Nothing.”