Brooding by moonlight

Sometimes, dwelling on the past, I grow maudlin, remembering the things that were and things that might never be. I had hopes that the future would bring a brighter world, that the people might realize beyond all expectations the things that are most important. That knowledge trumps faith, and that hope triumphs over fear.

The cruel and cold eighties, dominated by greed and artiface, could only succumb to a kinder, gentler world where humanity might hold sway. I'd hoped that as the old guard fell, it would be replaced by the people who'd known what it was like to "Come Together."

Though I too gasped in shock when I heard of John Lennon's blood staining the New York pavement, I hoped that it would galvanize people into remembering what the man stood for, and might lead us towards lasting peace.

But, alas, it was not to be. Instead we got Iran/Contra and a cabal much like our current one, that circled the wagons and pretended ignorance when ignorance was, indeed, impossible. I hoped that revelations would lead more people to question the status quo, to wonder if we were actually being served by our "leaders" or, rather, we were being "served up" instead.

For a brief, shining moment, it looked as though maybe the people had come alive, and the disquieting veil of sleep had lifted, for a man gained the White House who, for all his personal failings, genuinely seemed to respect humanity, and, as such, might be able to lead us into a new kind of prosperity.

But the old guard had not passed on so much as slipped into the shadows like venomous serpents, coiling about the shoulders of those members of a new cabal, whispering into their ears and leading them into a dark fever of hunger and avarice. A man named after a small amphibian, of all things, bringing to mind cold puddles and wet hollows, led a revolution to cripple this man, this leader, and steal from us any chance of seeing a better future.

Now, nearly two decades later, we see the legacy all of this has left us. A President who confuses himself with a King, a congress that can't see which way to jump, and a populace too easily deluded by talking heads who thrive on pretense and misdirection.

When I was born, our young men were half a world away, dying in a jungle they should never have seen. Now, forty years later, our young men (and women, this time) are half a world away, dying in a desert they should never have seen.

It is as though our American brothers and sisters haven't learned a damn thing. Of course, one might argue that it took centuries of war and, finally, a war of almost mythic proportions, to teach the Europeans the folly of allowing themselves to be used like that, but I can only look at our country and pull myself out of the pit of despair with great effort.

When will WE learn? We cannot allow these creatures to push us here and there, play upon our fears and hopes with such casual and cynical disregard. We cannot continue to allow them to turn us against one another, using our fears as levers to make us move as they would have us move. Our enemies, as ever, are not one another, but those who would use us for their own ends. It was true a thousand years ago and it is true now.

Anyone who points out our differences rather than pointing out our similarities should be listened to with a skeptical ear, and never should they be allowed to make their case without the sharpest questions being asked of them. And those whose job it is to ask the questions, those in the media, and those who claim to represent us, must either ask those questions, or step aside so that we may do it in their place.

It is not only our right to put to the question anyone who might lead us astray, it is our duty. Not just for ourselves, but for the very lives of our children, brothers, and sisters they lift and wield as if forged of steel rather than soft flesh, fragile hearts, and vulnerable minds.

Sometimes it is all I can do not to weep for us all, for what we lost, for what we were denied, and for what we have abandoned.

What I wouldn't do for a real reason to cheer.

What indeed.

Between apathy an delusion, it seems we are determined to become the next plague on the human race and the world.

It is not just "the media", it is us. The media strive to give us what we want and they have become quite adept at doing just that, so I have to ask, why do we not care? We have been warned time and again, for decade after decade, by political, business, and military leaders, by authors and reporters and celebrities and teachers and scientists, and still we will not act. We adamantly refuse and then attack those that point out our negligence.

We accept and rationalize and excuse the most blatant lies, outrageous crimes, and capitulation. We were born just after a great man wondered "why not?" and was killed for it. We've witnessed miraculous accomplishments of society and science, and have since done absolutely nothing while it was all reversed and stifled. We've watched in silence as our fellows have been stripped of all they had, their livelihoods, their security, their dignity, and even their very lives, while the ruling class has stripped our wealth and absconded with our future and now we stand mute as they escape with their ill-gotten gains, leaving us with the rotting carcass and waste and the bills.

Where is hope?

I find your post quite compelling, and I share the same concerns you touch on. Like many of us here I have become disillusioned that we (our country, our people) have NOT learned anything from the myriad of huge mistakes our government has made over our lifetimes. And that we are moving inexorably toward some type of collapse of our own making, driven by the politics of fear and division that has been so pervasive.

However, recently I have become more optimistic about the future, because of a couple of things in my life which may seem small and isolated- but I see as reasons to believe that we may just make it through this dark period as a tolerant and generous people. (At least in some parts of the country)

- My son just graduated from college. Being around him, his friends and fellow graduates has given me a new hope for our future. Theirs is an idealism grounded in the sober knowledge of the huge problems facing the world. They talk of doing things with an eye toward reducing environmental problems, of working locally to make improvements in people’s lives. Two are joining AmeriCorps – working for Habitat for Humanity, other non-profit organization. One will be interning in our new state governor’s office (Mass), another working with employment opportunities for young people in Memphis.

Being around these young adults is therapeutic for me, they were teenagers when the planes flew into the towers on 9/11; yet they are not stricken with fear of some outside threat, they accept that terrorism is now part of their world and are not made meaner, angrier for the knowledge- they are made stronger and committed to positive endeavors in their lives that will make us a better people.

-- The other reason to cheer has to do with an event I went to at a local church recently. It was a community meeting about climate change and how people could do things to reduce energy consumption.

This is a small town in Mass.; there were 30 or so people there. During the event I was sitting at a long table where the minister of the church we were in was sitting with two other ministers from neighboring towns. I overheard the three ministers talking with each other about how they were dealing with marrying gay couples in their respective churches. These ministers were sharing experiences on how to be sensitive and accepting to the couples, how to reach out to them so that they would not feel uncomfortable getting married in their churches. As I sat listening to this conversation which was all about tolerance and caring, I felt very hopeful that at least in this small community in this state people had rejected hatred and bigotry, and that as a people we were evolving to a new generous consciousness.

Not everyone has abandoned values of compassion and justice. In some small ways in communities and towns in this country you can find reasons to be hopeful for our future.

I am.