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L.A. BEHIND THE WHEEL: Los Angeles drivers do not understand the concept of ‘double parking.’ They just call it ‘stopping in the middle of the street.’ These are the same drivers who believe turn signals are vestigial auto organs to be ignored. ___________________________________________
COMPARE & CONTRAST
“The very fake news media is out totally of control,” Trump
“Strength lies not in defense but in attack,” Hitler ______________________________________________
LET’S CALL IT WHAT IT IS : There is a pattern in news these days. Whether it’s Charlottesville’s violence, a race riot in Washington D.C. or a Nazi rally in San Francisco. These are components of a larger force, Tribalism.
Tribalism is a basic societal organism that’s been with us since the Neanderthals in cave 1 sneered at the Sapiens in cave 5. It’s the bottom-line suspicion that jacks-up fear and carries the bacteria of hate towards people who are different. It’s a bacteria that invades religions, ethnicities, caste and nationalities.
The good news is that political bacterias can be eliminated with antibiotics. We call these education, familiarity, understanding.
Viruses are different. They are more powerful than bacteria and are very hard to eliminated. When a virus starts spreading, it can become a pandemic.
Are we headed towards a political pandemic? Donald John Trump has exposed a hate virus that is breaking across the land. It’s dangerous. It has to be to treated.
There are generally two ways to kill a societal virus. One, ironically, involves death. We call that ‘war’ as in World War II that saw divergent peoples come together to fight the fascist Nazi virus.
The other effective way to treat a virus is to quarantine it, wall it off or simply get far away from it.
That’s what the courageous executives and entertainers of Trump’s various presidential councils did recently. They sent a vital message. They do not like what he stands for.
Isn’t it time for congressional Republicans to do the same? Quarantine this presidential virus, don’t let it breath. Without air, the Trump virus will ultimately die from lack of oxygen. If they do not, Republicans will be infected by it. ____________________________________________
GRAY-HAIRS, DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? Seniors may be able relate to this lift from Robert Harris’s crackerjack audiobook, The Conclave, skillfully narrated by Roy McMillan:
“He turned over carefully, sat up, placed his feet on the floor and rocked himself forward several times, building the momentum to stand. This was old age, all these movements one had once taken for granted, the simple act of rising from a bed for example now required a precise sequence of planned maneuvers.” (Random House audiobook @ 8 hrs, 10 mins)
