Picture credit: Pixabay
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High students are reminding us that youth can speak to power, can foment change, and that it is a force to be reckoned with. These young survivors of the Parkland massacre bring firsthand authority to the gun debate and are showing the adult population how to solve problems.
Whatever demagogues would have us believe about our country, we can be proud of each other until the time our government works not to make America great again, but one that recognizes and builds on the greatness we have achieved throughout our history and works to uphold the principles We the People believe in.
Today our airwaves are being assaulted by the drone of newspeak. Big Brother was only the bogeyman in the closet until the Trump administration came into power. They have pushed him out and he walks among us.
All that glistens is not snake oil. Prescription drug problems are rampant. The truth is that Americans are still not smart about healthcare today. Vast numbers of us still succumb to advertising hucksters that peddle everything from snake oils to electronic doodads and contraptions.
These days it might seem as if living in jeopardy is just a fact of life but danger is nothing new. People have lived in jeopardy since the beginnings of human life and, around the world, many continue to live in mortal terror of losing all they love, all they have acquired, all they have achieved.
Yiddish has a better word for ostentatious. It's "ungapatchka." As defined by the Urban Dictionary, it means overly ornate, busy, ridiculously over-decorated, and garnished to the point of distaste. Ungapatchka fits the white elephant that will soon be occupying the Oval Office to a "T". The point of distaste is clearly met by Trump's fear mongering through his vile plans for America.
A miscarriage left me with the understanding that abortion would never be a good choice for me. Even so, I believe the decision to end a pregnancy or carry it to term—yes or no—belongs solely to the woman it concerns and to nobody else.
Donald Trump talks about "extreme vetting" of immigrants. It is peculiar that he is running for the highest office in American and nobody thought to "vet" Donald Trump or any other candidate up-ballot or down-ballot.
We have always been a country that adapts to the needs of a diverse population. We find our strength in embracing the best traditions from every culture. This one, strong, uniquely American tradition makes us one people, “We the People.” If we are proud to become a country of “white only” then we truly have lost our way.
This latest round of who can and cannot use the bathroom is the most absurd notion that state governments have raised to date. Aside from wasting taxpayer dollars on unnecessary legislation, these laws are a danger to public safety.