Academics specializing in the lifelong study of the universe and our solar system, have confidently declared the arrival of another Winter Solstice; what may be of greater and more profound impact to many citizens, is the concurring determinations, of the Hallmark Greeting Card Company, and Macy’s Department Store.
Here, at the home offices of plinyblog.com, after two and one-half solstices in existence, and consistent with our mandatory commitment to absolute candor, we are obliged to again repeat the disappointed phrase, coined by us at the advent of year 2018, “Today is yesterday again.”
In factually based contravention, to the many perennial resolutions for positive change. and the high-minded prognostications of the enthusiastic (and otherwise stimulated) celebrants, too many people seem to persist in living lives, eternally stuck in the time consuming and engulfing mire, of the pursuit of ephemeral, mindless and superficial diversion, and lacking any positive aspiration for personal growth and self-fulfillment. The empirical by- product of such superficiality, in addition to such irresponsible failure to live up to our innate human potential for advancement, appears to be a lack of moral inclination to care for other members of the human family, less fortunate than they are.
Far too many, human beings, despite mankind’s indisputable debt of gratitude, for the many benefits of Darwinian evolution, including the generous gift of an advanced brain, an opposable thumb, the structural architecture to walk upright , together with the inclination for living in society, nevertheless, wastefully, expend their brief allotted time on the planet, living a limited, ignorantly reductive, disinterested and insular existence, ungratefully unaware of their innate potential for some measure, at least, of personal growth.
Arm chair lassitude has tolerated the general deprecation of intellectualism and the search for knowledge, in the sciences, medical and literary arts. This is inclusive, irresponsibly, and indeed, dangerously, of the ignorant and ultimately suicidal, denial of the uniform findings of virtually all scientists, of a clear and present danger of man-made climate change, which could, conceivably, degrade the status of our [still] green planet to a lifeless, moon-like rock. We note that shamefully, such ignorance is programmatically promoted, to low-information voters by the air polluting industrialists, who selfishly and foolishly, exalt profits above human life.
Such pervasive arm chair ignorance, with its concomitant disrespect for human advancement and enlightenment, is too often, the underlying etiology for racial and other pernicious forms of bigotry. Every living personality, it seems, craves respect and status of some sort. This natural drive, leads the enlightened citizen to strive for laudable accomplishments, such as new understandings, discoveries, advancement in science and medicine, the publication of an esteemed work of art or a good book. It appears evident, that among the low educated, flat- earth denizens of our planet, that, to attempt to satisfy such need, an artificially manufactured “pecking order” solely configured by them, having its purported basis in skin color, appears to be the only one available.
Ignorance is the virulent basis of bigotry and, while in the main, this situation has been improving (thanks to enlightened and moral members of society) the armchair species of humanity, at best, has been an immobile spectator, at worst, a vile participant, in the industry of hatred. While, assuredly, there have been advances in the recognition of universal, all inclusive, civil rights, we, in the words of an American poet have “miles to go before we sleep.” For one illustration, among a great many possible others, bigoted ignorance still seems to tolerate an unfair justice system, inclusive of the profitable “prison industrial system,” shamefully and cruelly, fueled by an abnormally inflated inventory of black men.
The armchair waste of human protoplasm, studiously avoids any reminder of the fundamental ethic of our nation, which that declares that “all men are born equal,”, “one man, one vote” and “all men have the inalienable right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. It was this atavistic genus and species of mankind, frighteningly comprising a sufficient number of voters of like description, that succeeded in electing one of their own camp, Donald J. Trump.
It is abundantly clear that every properly informed American of good will, must responsibly take the time to cast his vote, that great emphasis need be placed on the quality of American education for the young, and perhaps programs of needed supplemental education for adults (possibly motivated by attractive benefits). We, yet again, refer to the wise prescription of Thomas Jefferson, to the effect that, for a democracy to succeed, it needs literate and informed citizens.
We hope to be enabled to publish a happier note for the next Winter Solstice.
Happy New Year!
-p
plinyblogdotcom 