Our worst day

 This is the worst day in the history of the United States of America!  Donald Trump, a con-artist, a criminal and a malignant narcissist who created a lie about the last election which he lost, and then incited a riot—an insurrection against the Capital.  The nation watched in horror over TV then apparently forgot all about it!  He has been re-elected president of this nation that held the light of liberty and freedom to the world for some 300 years.  We have lost something precious.  The finest of humanities ideals began to crumble in the 20^thcentury.   First came world war one followed by world war two.  Adolf  Hitler came to power in Germany and instituted malhumn horrors against a race of people.  The war raged for years until the additional horror of the US dropping 2 atom bombs on Japan . . . was Armageddon released?

As the US grew in power it began losing a connection with God; prayer was outlawed in schools and government events.  The desire to become rich increased and soon money became the god of many people.  Guns became a quasi-idol and could not be controlled by laws.  Slowly? or rapidly? moral decline set in and decency gradually evaporated.  In this atmosphere, over half of this nation elected immoral and amoral Donald Trump to lead our nation.

Which will it be?

In the 2024 presidential election we are at a moral crossroad.  There is more at stake in this election than choosing between two equally honorable individuals—we will be choosing between good and evil.

 

What are considered the most serious issues in this election?  We are told by the news media it is the economy and the refugees.  We are not a nation which is starving and destitute; we are seen as the wealthiest, strongest and most secure nation in the world.  Yes there are problems about distribution, but in considering this election our most serious problem seems to be that we have allowed money to become the object of worship rather than God and thus, acquiring wealth supersedes all else—that is Trump’s religion and highest value.  

Harris sees the need to protect and restore our nation’s soul as the highest value.

 

Our greatest national symbol is the Statue of Liberty holding the words of Emma Lazar’s poem: ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ . . that has worked for us for over 300 years.  Do we have a refugee problem?  Yes because we have an ancient inadequate system processing them.  Trump wants to gather them all, even those who have been working for years, and throw them out of the country.

Harris wants to create a new workable system.

 

Trump has a history of bilking people of their money with nefarious schemes, he is a convicted felon, breaks all rules, violates norms, fabricates outrageous lies . . .

Harris has spent her career in service to our nation.

 

Which will it be?

--A woman whose career honors our human search for peace and justice.

--Or a man who sits on a gold toilet thumbing his nose at truth and justice?

 

We choose between good and evil.

Honest Man vs Notorious Liar

 The debate between Biden and Trump a few days ago ignighted fear in many viewers and joy in others and caused both Democrats and Republicans to question Biden's ability and wisdom in running for president.

It is true that aging does damage to every faculty and functional ability but it is NOT a given that at a particular age one becomes incapable . . . some do at 50, others beyond 100. 

In the past, people thought age brought wisdom.  In the present, people believe age brings incompetence.  Each can be true and each can be false.  And either accepted whole heartedly is both wrong and foolish.  

Biden had a bad night, a really bad night!  It alarmed me and made me doubt . . . until I considered the options.  There is no doubt that Biden is an honest and honorable man; and it has repeatedly been proven that Trump is a liar.  As president, either will be surrounded with intelligent staff who will have input on decisions.  Biden listens and hears; Trump listens to no one but himself.  I will trust the honest man. 

I watched every minute of the debate and the discussions that followed.  I am 88,  Biden's senior by 7 years.  The following day I recalled a similar incident that happened to me about a year ago: I had been invited to give a return talk to a group on a topic I was well-versed on.  Going in, I felt a little 'off', but had notes and wasn't worried.  As I began, I felt a little shaky but OK.  Within minutes I began stumbling over my words, then lost track of what I was saying, looked down at my notes and could make no sense of them . . . I kept trying to recoup but finally apologized and excused myself.  It was the most embarrassing experience of my professional life.

I later learned of TIA = transient ischaemic attack or mini stroke.  That is what had happened to me.  It is caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to the brain.  Symptoms are: numbness or weakness of face, sudden confusion, trouble speaking, walking or seeing.   The TIA lasts a short time, it doesn't damage brain cells or cause permanent disability.

It seems likely that is what happened to Biden.  I will stick with Biden as he is a man of integrity and I believe that is the most importent quality for a president.

We Need the Word Malhuman

So much frightening news in today's world leads me to return to my blog.

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We need the word malhuman in our dictionaries.  It refers to human behavior that is beyond the pale of 'bad' and in the domain of evil.  Torture, brutality, rape, aggression, annihilation . . . Those are behaviors that defy human reason and justice. 

Reason and justice are among the building blocks of civilization.  When human behavior defies reason and justice, it becomes malhuman.  When our intelligence is perverted to choose behaviors that are totally harmful and destructive, it falls into the realm of evil.  Evil is defined as: profound immorality and wickedness; exclusively harmful and destructive.

Malhuman acts are human behaviors directed by humans to other fellow humans.  They don't 'just happen', they arise from calculation, planning and choice.  We are responsible for our choices.

The word malhuman will help us better understand the nature of the behaviors we choose.