Don't Put Your Ignorance on Display

Some things require an immediate response.

This is one of those things. 

The level of stupidity among American adults is astounding. I realize that not everyone can get a college education. But I'm not talking about being able to discuss the theory of relativity. I'm talking about basic knowledge.

A Facebook friend this morning shared a short video that showed a large map of the world with the names of the countries omitted. A woman asked random people to identify one country -- any country. She also asked each person prior to the 'quiz' if he or she is a Republican. Each person said yes. Each person was unable to identify even one country. Even the United States, Canada and Mexico were a mystery to each person. I can't identify each and every country, but at least I know that Australia isn't Russia, as one person guessed. What happened to the study of geography? Is it not taught any more?

The other sign of rampant ignorance was on a post by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a wonderful organization headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. The photo showed a young elephant that had been rescued after its mother was killed. Young elephants, like young children, cannot survive on their own. The elephant was peering over the front door of the stockage where it spends the night, along with a keeper who feeds it every few hours, to keep it safe from hyenas, lions and other predators. 

"Let it out! was the comment by several people. Let it out where? In the center of downtown Nairobi? Let it out into the wild so it can be town apart while still alive by predators? My comment suggested that people might want to educate themselves before making stupid comments. 

If people are visiting the page of an elephant rescue group, and they see a photo of a young elephant inside a building, would it  not occur to them to guess there is a reason for the baby elephant to be there? Or these people could always ask why the little elephant is behind a door.

I don't know the nationality or residence of these people, but the ignorance and stupidity continues to astound me. It also explains why the world is in the shape it's in. As the saying goes, "I don't suffer fools gladly."

Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness Week runs from Feb. 14-20 this year.

Random Acts of Kindness Day falls during this week, on Feb. 17. 

This annual celebration reminds us to be a positive influence in each other’s lives. Maybe you don't know what you can do, but even one small act of kindness can mean a great deal to somebody. The world often is selfish and cruel. It seems to get more cruel all the time. And not everybody receives the kind and amount of support they need. 

So it is important for us to always be kind to one another and to give others hope whenever we can. A small, random gesture of kindness can go a long way.

I remember how, many years ago, a stranger paid for my groceries. I had just a few items costing roughly $15, and I could have paid for them with no problem. But it was such a nice feeling when he paid for them. I thanked him, and told him I would pay his kindness forward. 

And I did. I later paid for the groceries for a Native American woman in a wheelchair, and for the roses purchased by a young man. Another time I paid for the doughnuts of a man who protested repeatedly before he finally acquiesced and let me buy the doughnuts. Some people aren't comfortable accepting kindness from others.

Some people pay for the coffee of the person in line behind them at the coffee shop. Others let a driver go ahead of them, or pay a complement to a stranger. Still others pay for someone's grocery purchases or visit a nursing home. It can be whatever your heart tells you to do. I try to complement the dog/s of someone I see walking their dog. It might be something as simple as "What a beautiful coat your dog has." I don't know anybody who doesn't appreciate hearing a complement.

There is a cashier at the grocery store where I usually shop, and she has at times seemed grumpy. So the last time I was at the store, I told her I liked her jacket, which I did. It was a colorful Native American style. She thanked me, and then replied with a laugh, "You can't have it."  I told her I might take it when she wasn't looking, but that it was too small for me. We shared a laugh, and I hope our brief conversation brightened her day. Something as simple as making somebody laugh can be a great act of kindness.

I recently told a good friend that I am proud of her for deciding to relocate to Europe for a few months, possibly longer. This is something she has wanted to do for a while, she isn't happy in her current location and circumstances, and she is making the leap. She has purchased her plane tickets, another friend has offered to accompany her and take one of her two dogs on the flight (each passenger can take only one animal in the cabin), she has given her landlady notice, and she is packing her things for storage until she makes final plans.

You might make a donation to charity, or say hello to someone you pass on the street or in a shop. Volunteer to do something to help a person or charity, or spend extra time playing with your pet. Let your heart guide you.

The opportunities are endless, limited only by our imagination. The bottom line is to do something for others. Not only will the recipient of your kindness benefit, but you will as well.

My Heart Hurts

My heart hurts.

It hurts more than it should. It hurts because so much of the world is hurting. It hurts because so much of the United States is hurting, and because so much of the hurt is being deliberately inflicted by politicians and their cult followers.

My heart hurts for the 67 people who died in a tragic collision of an airplane and a military helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Several of those on the airplane were young -- as young as 12 years old -- and promising figure skaters. Others were parents and coaches, as well as two champion skaters from Russia. Three lives were lost on the helicopter.

To add to the nation's pain, the president blamed his predecessors (Biden and Obama) and the now-canceled government diversity programs, implying that the pilots or air traffic controllers or somebody caused the tragedy because they weren't white and therefore were not smart enough for the job. 

My heart also hurts for the seven people who died when a medical evacuation jet crashed in Pennsylvania. Among the dead was a young girl from Mexico and her mother on their way home after the girl's medical treatment.

And my heart hurts for the millions of chickens and ducks that were killed when bird flu appeared in their flocks. My heart hurts for the farmers who have suffered huge financial losses when their flocks were killed. My heart hurts for the two baby eagles in Florida who died of bird flu. 

My heart hurts for those workers rounded up and deported. Yes, they were in the country illegally, but they had no criminal records and performed vital work. If you enjoy eating fruits and vegetables, chances are good that they were picked by these same people. With no workers -- and Americans are not willing to spend long days toiling in the hot sun -- food will rot. 

As a retired federal employee who served this country for 23 years, my heart hurts for the employees whose jobs are at risk because the world's richest man has decided he wants to eliminate various government agencies.

My heart hurts when I see so-called Christians calling for the deportation of an American citizen, an Episcopal bishop, for daring to encourage the president to treat others mercifully. My heart hurts when I read that Native Americans, whose ancestors have lived in this country for thousands of years, do not have birthright citizenship according to the white Christian nationalists. My heart hurts for the millions of people around the world who have been denied life-saving food and medication because the current administration has decided to dismantle the US Agency for International Development.

The bottom line is, the United States under the current administration has become a heartless, money-driven nation, all under the guise of "Christian nationalism."

A Forgotten Tragedy

The Holocaust in all its nakedness was presented on the screen ... I shed no tears. I understood everything, but the pain was too great for tears.

These were the words of an 11 or 12 year old child who innocently turned on the television as she waited for her parents to return from their errands. The day: Holocaust Remembrance Day. The place: somewhere in Israel. The child: daughter of Holocaust survivors. Her parents had not spoken to their daughter about the horrors they had survived.

Last year, 2024, I saw nothing, absolutely nothing, on the US news about Holocaust Remembrance Day. There was nothing about the Soviet liberation of Auschwitz on this day in 1945. Not a single word.

Train tracks that took Jews from Berlin to various concentration camps

Why is this? Is it because the Holocaust and World War II ended 80 years ago and there are few still alive who lived through the horror? Is it because so much of the world's population doesn't even know about the Holocaust other than as a distant event perhaps taught in schools, much as people of my generation studied the American civil war? 

Section of Berlin track that gave date of deportation and number of Jews deported

Is it due to the increase in acts of anti-Semitism here and abroad? Is it because, quite simply, no one cares?

I am not Jewish, but I have read dozens of books, both historical fiction and autobiographical, about the Holocaust. I did a 10-day trip to Berlin and to Poland to study the origins of the Holocaust, to spend multiple days at Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau, and to spend time viewing exhibits not available to the general public and to visit with those working to conserve the artifacts left behind when the camp was evacuated. I have a friend who lost much of her family in the Holocaust.

This atrocity, which took the lives of some 6,000,000 people, 1.1 million of them in the Auschwitz camps, must not be forgotten. It should be taught in high school history classes. It should be discussed in ethics classes. 

It should never be forgotten.

I Am Not An American

I was born in the United States, but I no longer feel that I belong in this country.

I have always had American citizenship. My parents and both sets of grandparents were Americans. I have always loved my country. I spent 23 years working for the federal government. Until 2016, I was proud of my country despite its faults. I was proud of Barack Obama and Joe Biden and their dedication to making this a better country for all of us -- poor, middle class, wealthy, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, transgender -- all of us.

My pride in America evaporated on November 6 with the re-election of a greedy, rude, crude, egocentric, compassionless, mentally ill, 34-time convicted felon, misogynist, rapist and chronic liar. He has no redeeming qualities. He instigated sedition against the US government, and he is guilty of several crimes for which he was never prosecuted. He will sell out this country to any of his beloved dictators who offer enough money.

Already he has taken us out of the World Health Organization and the Paris climate accords. His uber-wealthy 'bro' gave not one, but two, Nazi salutes to a crowded arena after the coronation, sorry, inauguration. He pardoned more than 1,500 people convicted and sentenced following the January  insurrection he instigated and that resulted in the deaths of several people, among them police officers. These people are now free, and threatening more bloodshed. He has fired at least 15 independent inspectors general in violation of federal law. He has directed the US Air Force to stop teaching new recruits about the Tuskegee Airmen and the WASPS, two groups whose service during World War II helped the US win the war. 

My father and all three of my uncles fought against fascists and Nazis during World War II. My father, a US Navy veteran, took part in the D-Day landings until his destroyer was sunk by Nazi guns. He spent hours in the cold waters of the North Atlantic until he was rescued by a British warship. He later served in the Pacific. 

Now here we are with a bunch of greedy, self-centered millionaires/ billionaires embracing the same beliefs that brought the world to war 80+ years ago. 

He has removed the commandant of the US Coast Guard (a woman). He has removed the head of the Transportation Security Administration, the agency responsible for screening air passengers, among other things. He has ordered the agencies charged with protecting the health of Americans --the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control -- to stop issuing public health warnings and to cease publishing reports and other external communications. He has canceled the DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) projects at all federal agencies, a move that was quickly embraced by several major American corporations, including, Ford, McDonalds, Target and Lowes. .

i would not be shocked to see 'whites only' signs in public bathrooms and other public spaces as were common until 1964, when segregation became illegal. 

I keep reading that we should fight back. That's a great idea, but how? The fascists have captured and now control both houses of Congress, the White House (now that's an appropriate name) and the US Supreme Court. I don't see much that we average citizens can do. We can support organizations that have the money and the staffing to challenge fascist edicts in court, but I don't see a lot of things we can do.

I now get my online news from a neutral source rather than the right-leaning CNN. I try to do my shopping at businesses that haven't fallen in line with the fascist government, something that is proving remarkably difficult given how many businesses have jumped on the bandwagon in an attempt to curry favor with the fascist-in-chief.

I am stockpiling extra food should shortages materialize. I'm certain there will be shortages of fruits and vegetables once all the field workers have been deported.

What a sad mockery of what we once were our nation has become.

Preparing for Trouble

 I have been trying to figure out what I can do to fight the insanity that is being forced upon us by the orange turd and his fellow fascists.

In reality, there isn't much that I as a lowly private citizen can do. But I have thought of a couple of little things:

I am going to let my Sam's Club membership expire this year and get a membership to Costco, whose board just rejected a shareholder recommendation to scrap its DEI program.

I have changed my online news source from CNN, which is selling out to the fascists, to NPR.

I will try to support businesses not supportive of the fascist take-over of this country. That means, for example, limiting purchases from Amazon.

I am stocking up on non-perishable foods, as I don't know what the future will bring. Will their be shortages? Will prices increase? (of course they will, once the 25 percent tariffs take effect). And there will be shortages, of fresh fruits and vegetables in particular. Already 75 percent of California's agriculture workers are staying away from work over concerns about immigration raids. Of course, I can't stockpile extra fresh fruits and vegetables.

I hope to add a few more items to this list.

If you have suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Death of a Nation

So here we are, America.

I feel like a person standing on a high-dive platform, toes just touching the end of the board, staring down into a very deep pool of water nearly 33 feet (10 meters) below, knowing I can't swim.

This is the position millions of Americans, and much of the free world, find ourselves facing today, just hours before a fascist-leaning, lying, mentally unstable, greedy, racist, misogynist takes the oath of office. That he can place a tiny hand on a Bible, a book he doesn't follow and has never read, and sweat to uphold the US Constitution, a document he wants to destroy, is reprehensible.

Already we are hearing about the myriad of executive orders he plans to sign after being sworn into office: raids on immigrants in Chicago, leading to mass deportations, end birthright citizenship, end Biden-era border policies, pardon January 6 defendants (he has started to walk this back), end the war in Ukraine (and it won't be good for Ukraine), slap 25 percent tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico, roll back environmental protections, limit participation in women's sports by transgender females, and other repressive and dangerous measures. Expect further attacks on our LGBTQ citizens, lessening of women's rights to bodily autonomy.

Will January 20, 2025, be the day the United States of America dies? It doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility that today could well mark the end of our great experiment. in representative democracy. 

We now live in a world where traditional alliances mean nothing, where only the super wealthy will benefit, where the government and its so-called Christian nationalists will dictate what teachers must (and must not) teach, what books librarians can put in libraries, which medical procedures are allowed, and where the government no longer actively works to remove the safety nets that have historically helped the poor. 

Environmental measures that have historically protected our clean air and water, safeguarded our food supply, and protected our wildlands and wildlife from destruction.

I agree that our immigration system needs a total overhaul, but rounding up some 12 million people in the country illegally, putting them in camps and then deporting them, is not the way to go about it. Most of the people who harvest our fruits and vegetables, as well as working as housekeepers, construction workers and in other low-paying jobs, are immigrants, many of them here illegally. Already the harvest in California's Central Velley is being impacted because the people who harvest the crops are not showing up to work, out of fear of deportation. 

If you enjoy a glass of orange juice with breakfast, or fresh produce with your lunch or dinner, be prepared for massive shortages and much higher prices. California is the world's fifth largest economy. The state supplies 1/3 of the country's vegetables, and 3/4 of its fruits and nuts. Taxes from blue states such as California also provide the funding on which red states such as Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and others rely.

I lived in northern California for 28 years, and I am still a Californian at heart. I think it's time for the states, and individuals, who are not part of the cult that is set on destroying this country, to fight back.

America is worth fighting for. So show up. Stand up. Speak up.