Pretenses are that we so love and adore the poor and humble Jesus of Nazareth
Who persevered for thirty-three years in a struggle for social justice.
Yet, in socially and ecologically destructive behaviors and lifestyles,
We drive our big pick ‘em up trucks and SUVs,
Live in big luxurious air-conditioned homes
Eat industrial Haber-Bosch foods (organic?) exported from across the globe
And don’t even come close to tithing
While clamoring to be great (again?).
And we support leaders who call other countries shit holes
And who have no empathy or real kindness for or mercy on anyone
And blame everything on hoaxes, previous leadership, invisible enemies, los otros …
Or ANYTHING OTHER THAN THEIR OWN POLICIES AND ACTIONS!
Pretenses are that we believe in education and learning but hardly read anything
Especially toward a consilience.
We ignore real news and good investigative reports
Deny anthropogenic climate change–
Despite the about eight billion Homo sapiens
And the many more of their domesticated species covering the globe
Some of whom are transforming more than 400,000 kilocalories per day–
Believe a “mysterious God* in the Heavens” is running things,
Deny evolution by natural selection,
Believe the Earth is about 6,000 years old
And that Noah’s ark saved humankind and the species of the Earth,
Believe in the toxic** rhetoric of Newt Gingrichs, Rush Limbaughs, Laura Ingrahams, Sean Hanittys, Donald Trumps, and Dan Patricks, et al. … .
…………………………………
I’m wondering. …
Was my spat with Linda Lou and Outlaw Tim good or bad?
Well … it and similar fights with prejudiced right wingers and Believers and complacency
Are never comfortable.
Perhaps uncomfortable means bad.
And it is uncomfortable to the point that I feel a self-righteous urge to give up on them.
I suppose this is really bad.
(I do realize that in their own self-righteousness
They’ve felt quite despondent toward my own words and actions many, many times.
Nevertheless, they’ve complacently, apathetically said nothing and carried on–
Which other family members at the other pole have also done–
In the interest of a pseudo-PEACE.)
This youngest sibling of mine basically says “Shut up about the wrong in the world!”
And as far as Ameerica is concerned, “Quit pointing out Ameerica’s original and ongoing sins. …
Love it or leave it!”
“The lazy*** welfarers must work for their food, abodes, and health care,
And we’ve got to dispose of and keep these undocumenteds out. …
Gotta work. Gotta work.”
(I changed her cloth diapers when I was ten.
I guess that’s probably the only overtly positive thing I’ve done for her.)
Listen! … If we all worked for bigger air-conditioned vehicles and homes and vacation bungalows,
Exotic food, fibers, and shelters
And more and more (fossil energy/material,“plastic”) stuff
All of which means more and more destruction of dynamic homeostatic symbioses
Then in the vernacular of a humble, frugal, appropriately living man of a light ecological footprint … my Dad:
“That wouldn’t be worth a shit!”
“You don’t like it, then leave!
I’ve got the vocal power of majority behind me”
“Hold on there!
If YOU don’t like it that I don’t like it, then you leave.
I was here first! I have precedence.”
These types of arguments I’ve had with deeply loved kin and friends are obviously silly. …
By the way …
Complacent Haves who lacked the capacity to critically think
(Or, perhaps, who were truly corrupt, immoral, and unethical)
Said the same about love or leave
As little sister and her generally exceedingly kind husband
When we were colonizing and genociding the indigenous.
And the same when slavery was legal.
Also, during Jim Crow and KKK-type lynchings.
They closed their eyes to the brutal suppression of those who protested
For real and True social justice–
The social justice of civil rights, affirmative action, reparations, and equity and equality
In the 1960s up to the present.
I’m tired of apathy, complacency and hypocrisy
And the complainers and blamers on
Those lazy welfare recipients and the undocumented.
I am tired
Of national narcissism and arrogance,
Of mighty Warring militaries, of conspicuous consumption,
And of might making right, …
Of social injustice, inhumanness, and concurrent ecological insanity.
I am really tired of MAGA, the dreadful hate of MAGAs,
And especially of the titular face of MAGA.)
*********************************************************
By the way, …
*My god, or mysterious God,
Which I respect, study, and try to understand and work with
Is dynamic homeostatic symbioses.
**A family member has empathically expressed her belief
That my being human is toxic
And that rhetoric such as used herein is poison …
To grandchildren
And others.
***A little tale (greatly paraphrased herein through my faulty memory)
From a pamphlet of the Center for Rural Affairs, Lyons, Nebraska–
Which I love–
Is of the village porch-sitter
Who does nothing all day but smile and wave friendily to all passerbiers.
But when this friendly life of a very small ecological footprint–
But “lazy” lifestyle–
Was the focus of a local newspaper story,
A proud and arrogant (and meddling) family member was offended
And sued the newspaper and writer of the story.
pbm 7/4/2020
( 7 S’s /VV->^^ )
