It is understandable but unfortunate, that the current level of societal angst and figurative handwringing is virtually palpable. There appears to be a disturbing, wistful mind-set that the former, settled and predictable American way of life is now a feature of some bygone era. The previously declining state of civic amity has all but disappeared; any attempt, however polite, to debate a contrary political opinion with another is predictive of a response featuring rancor and expressed hatred.
This exotic atmosphere is proximately related to a sea change in the character and intention of Washington, by virtue of the past presidential election which saw the elevation of an egocentric poser, lacking the requisite aptitude to be entrusted with an entry level job at a multi-national corporation, to the role of its CEO. The multi-national corporate conglomerate in this case, is the United States of America, the most powerful and determinative nation on the planet, and as well, the acknowledged leader of the free world. This shallow, intemperate game show host and real estate conniver, now frighteningly, has the destiny of our nation legally under his control, and his small hands potentially on the awesome nuclear trigger. There is absolutely no basis for confidence in this snake-oil salesman who ignorantly derides scholarship and intelligence in favor of biased reductionism. Our previously repeated observation, that the combination of ignorance with (unjustified) confidence is lethal, now has sufficient in vitro laboratory proof.
It required only a short period of time after he took office to frighten and confuse every rational person on the globe, both national and international. Our elected office holders and legislative representatives, as well as the leaders of foreign countries have been eternally confounded with his rash and poorly conceived statements, publicly imparted by means of the unseemly use of “twitter” technology.
He has attacked the media and the Courts, the only two institutions, in fact, protecting the American citizen. He has brazenly violated every presidential sacrament, the conflict of interest prohibition, the uniform obligation of presidents to furnish tax returns; he has shamelessly installed members of his immediate family as functionaries in the White House and has participated in treasonous liaison with the Russian government.
His perverse appointments to leadership of the various departments of government have been those who have committed treasonous acts with Russia, others that have no experience or knowledge of their department and some who have even expressed opposition to their respective department. His state of awareness as to his total incapacity to perform and direct the responsibilities of presidential office has occasioned a co-dependency relationship with a chief advisor, Steven Bannon. Mr. Bannon is known as a proudly self-identified white supremacist who suffers from the paranoid delusion that there will be a future Armageddon- scale war between white Christianity and Islam and, since Russia is white and Christian, it will be our ally; these clinically diagnosable delusions may serve to explain the recent, unprecedented White House tilt toward our perennial opponent, Russia.
If more were needed to fuel our anxiety, the new President has dismissed the ominous concerns and findings of our leading scientists as to the planetary danger of carbon activated climate warming in favor of courting the large financiers of his candidacy, the despoilers of our planet, the coal and oil industrial magnates. The express intention of the present administration is to grant favorable tax treatment to such billionaires and others of the extremely rich category, to the detriment of the lower and middle class voters who supported him specifically based upon his diametrically opposite assurances.
As a nation of immigrants, our traditional open door policy, symbolized by The Statue of Liberty, Emma Lazarus and Ellis Island, has now given way to unfriendly suspicion, restriction and selectivity of newcomers.
BUT! Contemporaneously with, and totally independent of the above dire events, something wonderful is making its joyful return. In many areas, the soil has started to soften, perennial roots are twitching excitedly, various green shoots are awaiting their solar cue for emergence; small furry animals are cautiously peeping out from cover and wrinkling their tiny noses to gauge the coming change to the warmer season; tender bulbs and crocuses have started their slow and steady upward mobility and the forsythia look impatient for the start of their annual yellow outbreak.
Sap is moving in the systemic systems of the trees and we will soon see the appearance of the pale green primavera, followed by mature green leaves. Migrated birds will come home, and shortly we will see and hear honking geese and the sounds of their noisy competition for desired nesting spots on ponds, we will all marvel at the enormous balletic flow of the starlings as they surf their way home like ocean tides, and we can soon anticipate the mellifluous solo performances by hundreds of songbirds.
If you look closely, you may be able to see the appearance of tiny buds, with every requisite ambition to grow; it is buds, buds, buds, everywhere. This natural development does not hang on any votes or decision by an Electoral College. Soon pussy willows, tender bulbs, daffodils, hyacinths and lilac will make their appearance; later, hydrangea and spirea will bloom, foxglove, ageratum (“black eye Susan”) and all the other loving expressions of our planet will tempt the eye and nose with remembered joy.
The daylight is increasing in honor of the arrival of the Princess of Spring and the only tweets that will matter to us at all, are those of the sparrows and chickadees; a generous and empathetic Nature is performing for us the desperately needed and intrinsically holy, Redemption of spring.
-p.
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