loving art, science and creative kids

The Orator 

In Hyde Park, England, the Orator stands on a soap box speaking his mind. Sharing views with curious onlookers he occasional appears deranged and at other times brilliant, but his right to express himself is never questioned. 

      Acrylic on Canvas, 22” x 18” , black frame, $ 325

Terrorized At Home

Terrorized At Home

You may or may not share my political views but I imagine you agree that our citizens do deserve the truth and do not deserved to be terrorized. 

A friend recently said that she lived in a bubble surrounded by a state of terror.  Her daily life was going well, she enjoyed her family and loved spending time with grandchildren.  However, as soon as she slowed down to think or take a walk in the woods, fear washed over her.  She was gripped with terror.  This kind, compassionate woman was born in Germany and remembered how Hitler came to power by stirring discontent and hate.  With deja vu she sees the same rhetoric providing ammunition to a Neo-Nazi movement in our country that is filled with ugliness.  Terror affects her life as it is does many of her friends.

Under the guise of freedom, U.S.citizens watch their right to free expression erode to be replaced by confusion over values.  Women, once again viewed as sex objects, are reengaged in battles they thought had been won. They are subject to increased domestic violence,  experience greater inequality in the workplace,  and are fearful of losing the right to choose. They worry that their daughters will join the rising tide of raped, assaulted, and prostituted women  and that their grandchildren will live in a polluted, overpopulated world.  Gays are increasingly bullied  and once more relegated to second class citizens while low income families continuously have to fight to keep health care insurance, a right given to citizens in all first world nations except the United States.   And people of color? . . . those poor misaligned men and women are constantly targeted for the shade of their skin.  Hard working Hispanic parents are separated from their families and deported to countries where they can not find work.  Black men are shot in shameful numbers and jails are filled by racist police and an antiquated judicial system.  No wonder so many people walk the streets feeling terrorized.

Fake news?  Anyone watching the recent Ken Burns series on Vietnam learned how presidents in both parties distribute fake or misleading news. Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon were not above manipulating the press to bend a naive, patriotic chanting crowd to their end. It wasn’t until honest newscasters shed light through investigative reporting and publishing their on-site photos that the the truth about Vietnam hit home.  When President Bush came into power, he too deceived the country by claiming Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when it was clear that they did not. He joined the former presidents who tied their ego to winning a war. 

A free press is imperative to support a democratic nation and citizens are needed who care enough to check facts. Having a major news network owned by a foreign capitalist with an extreme political agenda favoring the wealthy is scary enough.   But, being told by our current president that the media distributes fake news, and to only trust his Tweets, is unconscionable and quite frankly bizarre. He stirs divisiveness and adds discord and tension to the country’s unease. Divide and conquer seems to be his motto, for I see no policy designed to bring citizens together.  Instead, we now face the potential for civil war.

In 1858, Abraham Lincoln said, “a house divided against itself cannot stand. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or another.”   Lincoln was talking about slave or free states.  This may be another defining moment in history when we have to decide which way will we go? Will we be subjected to dictators who espouse Facist ideology favoring the wealthy or do we remain democratic and accept regulated capitalism that benefits the majority.  Are we open to hearing differing opinions or do we censor those who do not share our beliefs?  Do we engage in ethnic cleansing in order to have a white Christian country, or do we enjoy diverse races and religions in a tolerant society the world recognizes as compassionate?   And lastly, are we wedded to the idea that we will be at war for the rest of our lives?  If we do not choose wisely we run the risk of creating one for generations that follow. 

In his farewell address President Eisenhower warned us to beware of the military-industrial complex.  As a retired five-start Army general, he recognized it as a threat to our democratic way of life.  

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”

War makes money for munitions dealers.  Defense contractors send thigh paid lobbyists to congress to lock-in political support for their businesses.  Why should they care where the war is, as long as there is one?  When warplanes fly near the DMZ and threats are made towards North Korea, they see dollar signs light up the sky. 

I find the exchange of words by two self-centered men who call themselves leaders to be quite frightening. People who play chicken are asking for trouble, yet citizens Joe and Jane are the ones who will suffer.  However, the public’s lack of concern about whether to engage in numerous wars on eastern and western fronts is also unnerving.  Since we started using invisible drones instead of foot soldiers to kill innocent people miles away from our homes, we don’t worry about their ruined cities and displaced population.  Instead most of our citizens are sadly apathetic The easily agree to closing doors to fleeing refugees who have no where to run.  Where will you go if bombs reign down on your head or if severe drought or floods brings famine to the land?   Do you expect another country to open their borders to help you? 

Living in a state of constant terror is slowly becoming the mood of the country as it was during the cold war. These emotions make people want to spend even more money on ammunition, making the arms dealers even happier.  Let's not follow in Germany's footsteps and bring  chaos down on our heads by insisting on a “me first” attitude rather than work with other countries for the common good. 

Who is in charge here?  The American public?  No way.  I say, we certainly better get ourselves together, take to back our humanity or learn to live with terror as an expected emotion.

References

 Sandum,J. & Johnson,D. (2017) Violent Crime is on the Rise in U.S.Cities. Time. retrieved from

http://time.com/4651122/homicides-increase-cities-2016/

 Bloom,N (2017) Corporations in the Age of Inequality. Harvard Business Review. retrieved from

https://hbr.org/cover-story/2017/03/corporations-in-the-age-of-inequality

 (2016) Murders, rapes and assaults rise in US, says FBI report. BBC News. retrieved from

from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37479529#mce_temp_url#

 Duffey, C (2017) LGBt Youth Bullying is on the Rise. retrieved from

 https://thepridela.com/2017/07/lgbt-youth-bullying-rise/

 Lincoln Home  (1958) House Divided Speech. National Park Service. retrieved 2017 from

https://www.nps.gov/liho/learn/historyculture/housedivided.htm

  NPR Staff (2011    Eisenhour’s Warning Still Challenges A Nation,  Oregon Public Broadcasting. retrieved from

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/16/132935716/eisenhowers-warning-still-challenges-the-nation