Politics

We did this to ourselves

/ C.B. Kent / Leave a comment

The thing of it is, we created this mess.

It’s easy to blame, villainize, point fingers and condemn. We’ve taken sides, and we all know our side is the right one, in our heart-of-hearts we know.

Like many of you (ok, none – I know I’m writing this purely for my own amusement and no one is actually reading this blather but me), I’m sitting here in my bubble, hidden away from society behind a keyboard which gives me safety and anonymity to spew forth whatever drivel I choose. Lies, truths, it doesn’t matter. No one is going to hold me accountable. No one cares. And that’s how we’ve gotten here. We just don’t care about one another. We sort of co-exist but it’s not a community, and it’s certainly not the kind of existence that fosters growth and understanding. We are all alien to one another, strange and indifferent, and it’s because we do not have to actually interact with one another in any meaningful way. We share that we are human, but, maybe that’s being generous. We are homo sapiens who happen to occupy the same piece of rock out of the some-quantity-larger-than-the-largest-number-I-can-comprehend of rocks there are in what we casually call “space”. We have taken something unique, wonderful, and maybe even somewhat miraculous, and turned our existence, our humanity, into something quite trivial.

We are heading toward extinction.

Okay, maybe I’m being melodramatic. It’s hard to look out of the bubble and not see the hate, the hate-breeding, the awfulness of our human nature, and still be hopeful. It is painful to know that we are allowing our “have vs have-not” culture to take over and continue to sow discontent among us. It is painful to see how we are destroying one another instead of working harder to build each other up. It shouldn’t be about me winning and you losing; it should be about me winning and ALSO you winning, and maybe you even come out ahead of me. Imagine that, me putting you first, or better, by putting you first I, too, stand to gain?

Isn’t that what loving thy neighbor is about?

We seem to have forgotten what it is to be a neighbor, not just in the “my house is next to your house separated by a fence” way. Being a neighbor is being mindful and aware that you are NOT the only person around and you HAVE to co-exist with other people, not just the ones immediately next to you but ALL of them. You are my neighbor in the grocery store, in the mall, six states away, six countries away. You are only a stranger when I choose to see you that way. 

Co-existing, loving your neighbor, or not, all of this is a choice. And this is why I am terrified of where we are and why I am struggling to see a way forward. We got ourselves here and we desperately need to find a way out.

The New Colossus, as told by Donald Trump. Apologies to Emma Lazarus.

/ C.B. Kent / Leave a comment

This has been in my head since last night’s debate. Anything in italics is from the original.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

Because he’s a total loser, I tell you.

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Massive, massive limbs, they’re going to be great.

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

Not gates, a wall. A huge wall and Mexico is gonna pay for it.

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Women…you know, it doesn’t really matter what reports write as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass.

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Speaking of imprisoned, I like people who weren’t captured.

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

That mother, she had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me.

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

I have seen women manipulate men with just a twitch of their eye — or perhaps another body part.

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

You know, China has bridges that make the George Washington Bridge look like small potatoes.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

We’re going to build a wall, and we’re going to stop it. It’s going to end.

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

My entire life, I’ve watched politicians bragging about how poor they are, how they came from nothing, how poor their parents and grandparents were. And I said to myself, if they can stay so poor for so many generations, maybe this isn’t the kind of person we want to be electing to higher office. How smart can they be? They’re morons.

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

Give me clean, beautiful and healthy air – not the same old climate change (global warming) bullshit! I am tired of hearing this nonsense.

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

People are coming into our country like we have no idea who they are, where they are from, what their feelings about our country is… This is going to be the great Trojan horse of all time.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

But only if they’ve been extremely vetted.

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

I need to see who’s at the door because they could be a Muslim.