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| snowing up in Sangre de Cristos |
I realize it has been months since I posted anything (after
most recent return from Petra; didn’t even go into annual sojourn to Pacific
Beach end-of-Sept.), but thought recent events worthy of reflection. As I
walked out to put up “Old Glory” this morning, honoring Veterans Day here in
USA/Armistice Day marking the end of World War I, I pondered the title of a
letter in today’s newspaper from a writer in LA (that’s Los Alamos hereabouts).
It boldly stated: “No one will ever take away our vote.” The column was
confined to the subject of various voting initiatives recently attempted and
long lines at voting locations, etc. I found myself thinking the author
historically short-sighted (“ever”) and failing to appreciate the immensity of
our rights and privileges: they are, only due to the efforts and sacrifice of
so many veterans and ol’ campaigners.
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| Mom & Dad WW II |
Another
letter touted the “Democracy” we have several times, without mentioning our
“Republic” (it is hard for this historian/archaeologist to forget that once
Rome gave up their republican ideals they became Imperial Rome: keeping the
citizens entertained & fed).
This past
election-cycle here has been long and draining. The vitriolic attacks have been
broad-brushed and filled with generalizations on both sides. I am reminded of
an earlier post on these pages where I noted that some “tolerant” people get
tunnel-vision considering their political opponents. All too often we hear “Democrats
are this… they all want something”… “Republicans are that… they want to oppress
you”… I actually read where one “friend” posted on Facebook that “Republicans
are Nazis.” I again found myself wondering if this self-described “Democratic
Socialist” would have the same negative and inflammatory tag other
belief-systems (Buddhist, Catholic, Druid, Jewish, Lutheran, Muslim,
Zoroastrian, etc.). I still think not…
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| Father-in-Law Chuck: WW II |
I am also reminded of the counsel of a
local Unitarian minister, herself quite liberal I’ve been told, to remember on
Nov. 7th (the day after the election) “we still have to live with
one another.” Good advise. When I hear
the generalizations I usually think of the individuals. When I read how
negative the GOP or Dems are, I reflect on the number of veterans and active
duty personnel, the incident personnel at “Sandy” and other emergency &
public safety responders that are registered to vote (as individuals) as (D),
(G), (I), (L), (R) or whatever. I guess since coming of age in the Civil Rights
Movement era, I prefer to think of our great experiment as 300M individuals
(and growing). When I hear someone disparage that “those Democrats are…” I
think “Wait a minute, Meme is pretty insightful and thoughtful…”
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| Yours Truly |
I
remember an election during my 8th grade year. I wrote about it
4-years ago (before this blog): it was 1960, and my US History teacher (Mrs.
Taylor) at Lincoln Junior High in Santa Monica had been Richard M. Nixon’s
teacher very early in her career (in Whittier). She was quite biased for him (as
was my family), but the day after the election she told us the electorate, the
American People, had spoken and we were to ALL rally around the new
President-Elect (that my folks had met months before at a dog show). We have
had trying times in the history of this Great Republic, hopefully we can
pull-together during the days ahead, remembering: “That which does not kill
me/us, makes me/us stronger”
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| Nephew Evan |
Getting
back to today, it is symbolic that this date was to end all wars. Indeed,
appears naïve in retrospect. However, we can start locally – with our own
actions: polarizing rhetoric or working to consensus of compromise that will
make us better. There is the “Fiscal
Cliff” straight ahead, and the last thing we need is “lines-in-the-sand” of the
House & Senate. Remember, “We the People”… I know our protectors &
veterans out there do…
FYI, re: the movie “Lincoln” (a Republican)
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