They Said It Couldn't Happen Here

They said it couldn't happen here. No way. We're too righteous and good. We're a Judaeo Christian nation with all of the values that would halt such craziness and inhumanity. Plus we have laws and regulations. We have an elected government. Representatives wouldn't let this happen - let their constituents down. If all else did somehow fail, we have a legal system and courts and judges and justices who would come to the rescue in the end. Don't we?

Yes, we were taught in school that it couldn't happen here. We learned this as we hid under little desks and were told to hide our eyes from the nuclear fireball that would surely come someday. That could happen here but it would only be because we were fighting for the right cause, somewhere, someplace.

No it could never happen here. We wouldn't tell mothers we were only taking their children away to give them showers. We wouldn't tell the children we would bring them back to their mothers and then take them to separate cages. We wouldn't do this, would we?

Well we have. We've done that and worse at our southern border. We've locked up people seeking asylum, seeking freedom, seeking a better life. We've separated families, children, mothers and fathers. We've ended economic support to countries where these families come from. We've created more economic injustice and pressure to encourage their migration.

Yes, we all believed it could never happen here but it did. Worse yet, we go about our daily business and shake our heads and go on to the next phase of our day and life. Our streets are empty when they should be full of masses of people protesting the weakness and immorality of our leaders. Our streets are empty and politicians dither, trying to figure out what to do next. We argue about what to call the Trump Camps. Are they Concentration Camps or tent cities or holding points? And children and mothers and fathers sit in overcrowded cages. Pledge allegiance to what??? We should all be ashamed as we watch it happen here.

Things I've Learned About Life

The recent passing of Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche, has helped me to reflect on two of the most important experiences of my life - time I spent as a young man at the Catholic Worker in New York City and the time I've spent working with and supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at The Arc of Schuyler and other similar organizations.

Here's a quote from Vanier that may help in understanding the journey.

“Each human being, however small or weak, has something to bring to humanity. As we start to really get to know others, as we begin to listen to each other's stories, things begin to change. We begin the movement from exclusion to inclusion, from fear to trust, from closedness to openness, from judgment and prejudice to forgiveness and understanding. It is a movement of the heart.”

— Jean Vanier

Many people think that working with the poor, the down and out, the broken, is about helping, healing and fixing. That of course can be good but it can also be a selfish way of fulfilling one's own needs. Listening and getting to know someone and understanding their strengths and weaknesses, hopes and dreams is something very different.

The Catholic Worker helped me experience that important distinction. Living in community with people who had been challenged by everything life had to throw at them, cooking soup and preparing meals that were on this side of gourmet, brought me into an understanding of how we are all in this together. Violent outbursts, sporadic bouts that people had with alcohol, gathering spoiled or wasted food at markets and handing out clothing and shoes to people were all part of the process of getting to know people who would become friends and colleagues.

At the same time, the politics of our nation influenced and forced action. The war in Vietnam built and then raged. Protests took place between responsibilities at the soup kitchen. Sometimes, the new found friends, workers and fellow diners disagreed with the politics of the soup makers and arguments or silence ensued. But we all went on, sometimes along our own or different paths. Learning from each other along the way.

In a similar vein, I began working with people with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities in the early 70's after an all expenses stint paid for by the US government. My work began at a time when helping and rehabilitating people with disabilities was still the main focus. Over time, again because of relationships with people, I began to think and act differently in relation to the people I was supporting. I'm proud to have been involved 'with' people rather than 'doing for' people, but it did take me some time to understand and evolve. We closed institutions together. We designed systems of support together. We started talking differently by using words and not acronyms. We fought the good fight together and kept learning along the way.

That all brings it back to Vanier's 'movement of the heart'. We are in his together. We all have our worth. We all should be included rather than excluded.  

Now That The Border Is Fixed

Wow, it's finally done. The US/Mexican border problem has been fixed by Donald Trump. Tough negotiations with Mexico did it I guess. In addition we didn't have to build a wall and they didn't need to pay for it. Some of the solution is secret but I'm sure we'll find out eventually. So now we can release all of those families, reunite children with parents and tear down those cages and camps. Boy it feels good to be an American. I'm certainly glad those tariffs are off the table, at least for now. Of course they can be brought back at any time according to the President and that'll show the Mexicans whose boss. As Americans we know how to handle the pain we hand off to other countries. We've done it before and we'll certainly do it again. Whatever it takes, tariffs, consumer price increases, higher taxes, a recession, a broken economy and if nothing else works good old war.

So there we have it. Everything is fine. The Democrats can continue to pass legislation that the Senate won't agree to and that the President will never sign. Mitch McConnell can continue to appoint judges from a list of people who don't seem to have much judicial experience or acumen.

The best news is that we can stop all of these debates and town halls with 23 or is it 24 opposition candidates. What's the need at this point.

So pack away your pink hats, your Resist t-shirts, sweats and signs. Everything is fine in America. Donald Trump has once again made one hell of a deal. Critics be damned. The emperor does have clothes and aren't they pretty?

Polling In America

As we head into another Presidential Election cycle, polls are getting more coverage. Daily polls, weekly polls and monthly polls on candidates, approval ratings, issues, etc. Newspapers have them, cable networks and radio stations have them and of course pollsters have them. These polls are done by age groups, regions of the country, sex and just about every demographic you can imagine. And sadly, many people believe them or count on them to help make critical decisions.

But eventually we need to ask the question, who are these people polling? Landlines are still in existence but who in fact uses them? What's that demographic? Once we get past those questions we're faced with others. Who answers 'Unknown Caller' calls on cell phones these days? That again is probably a pretty specific demographic. As really good and reliable call blocking is developed and used, who is left to poll or what new method is used?

Perhaps, since the samples are usually pretty small, the pollsters are just sending people out to survey the people in their offices, office buildings or neighborhoods. I have no idea, but I do know that many people seem to depend on this information and nobody can really decipher how it's being done in today's tech centered world. Is it possible that there really aren't any poll results? That would explain a lot.

Trump - Pelosi Feud Shouldn't Be A Model

Yes, the Trump - Pelosi feud has been building for weeks, maybe even months, but it certainly shouldn't be a model for governing on any level. People not working together, not resolving differences and insulting each other, accomplishes little. Perhaps some find it fun to watch or the two main participants feel cleansed once they spew their anger but for the rest of us, its mostly embarrassing and tiresome.

By now we know Donald Trump. We know he lies and embellishes. We know he has violated every norm. We also know that he reacts to what he perceives as attacks on his character, his manhood, his wealth, his family, etc. Nancy Pelosi knows it too. She also knows that his anger, most of the time, makes him say silly and ignorant things. He can be put off balance by a comment or a verbal jab. She is also a master of political theatre.

My own view of this latest jousting between the two is that a pro impeachment Congressman or aide leaked Pelosi's comment about prison for Trump vs impeachment to put her on the spot relative to moving toward impeachment. I'm pretty sure Pelosi has a good idea of who leaked the comment and that a price will eventually be paid. The reality is however that this feud was building. Trump and Pelosi have been on a collision course for a long time and now it's in full view.

Yes, full view and not very pretty. Let me remind people that this just isn't the way any government, on any level should work. Two leaders talking about jailing their opponents. This is the stuff of dictators and banana republics. If this were the norm, local school boards, village boards and county governments would get nothing done.

Every once in awhile, we all have to take a deep breath and realize that chants of "Lock her up" or "Lock him up" are just rubbish and mob governance based on emotion. Debate and compromise are the key to getting things done. They are also hard work and require a commitment to that work. Political theatre on the other hand is pretty easy and accomplishes little beyond entertainment. This show will end as they all do and it probably won't be pretty but for the sake of us all, don't let this be the model that you adopt. It's a failure from the beginning.