Cloris Leachman

 

Cloris Leachman passed away yesterday at the age of 94.  An impeccable comedienne and incredible actress, her impact on film and television is amazing.  I didn't realize just how acclaimed she was.  She is the most nominated and tied as the most awarded actress for the Primetime Emmys.  Academy Award, British Academy Film Award, Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, Daytime Emmy, and National Board of Review Award winner, her credits include some of the most amazing performances put on screen.  From Ruth Popper, the lonely and depressed housewife of the closeted football coach in The Last Picture Show, to Phyllis Lindstrom the interfering downstairs neighbor on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, to Frau Blücher (Neigh), the secret keeping housekeeper in Young Frankenstein.

My favorite story about her relates to that classic role in Young Frankenstein.  When Mel decided to bring the show to Broadway in musical form in 2007,  Leachman auditioned to play Frau Blücher (neigh) in the show, as she was now closer to the age the character was supposed to be.  Mel thought at 81 she was too old for the dancing and stagework required.  "We don't want her to die on stage."  Leachman took umbrage with the statement, especially as she was appearing on Dancing With The Stars.  After seeing her success in the dancing competition, Brooks asked her to reprise the role of Frau Blücher (neigh) after the departure of the current actress in the role.  The show sadly closed before anyone could see that come to fruition.

(as an aside - That leaves Mel Brooks, Gene Hackman, and Terri Garr as the last surviving principle cast of Young Frankenstein.  And Mel and Hackman are 94 and 90 respectively.)

Leachman's career began in 1947 and will see two posthumous releases this year.  

She will be missed.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.  It commemorates the tragedy of the Holocaust, remembering the genocide that resulted in the death of an estimated 6 million Jews, 8.7 million Slavs, 1.8 million ethnic Poles, 220,000 Romani people, 250,000 mentally and physically disabled people, 312,000 Serb civilians, 1,900 Jehovah's Witnesses, and 9,000 homosexual men by the Nazi regime.  Honoring the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp on January 27, 1945 and the end of the Holocaust.

We remember and commemorate these events so that we never forget them.  So that we learn from them, for that is the purpose of history.  For us to be able to look back and see the events that led to such events and to be able to recognize them as they occur around us.

"The International Day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust is thus a day on which we must reassert our commitment to human rights [...]

We must also go beyond remembrance, and make sure that new generations know this history.  We must apply the lessons of the Holocaust to today's world.  And we must do our utmost so that all peoples may enjoy the protection and rights for which the United Nations stands."

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, January 19, 2008

The learning of history, the application, is sadly where we are falling down.  It's part of a bigger discussion of how we learn history, how we teach history.  Another big question for a future blog.  But on this topic, we can see the evidence around us of our failure as a society to completely grasp the lessons of the Holocaust.

Anti-semitism, though not at its highest levels, remains relatively high.  In the European Union, 89% of respondents that had identified as Jewish indicated that anti-Semitism had increased over the last five years in their country.  Further, 40% of respondents feared a physical anti-Semitic attack.

In the United States, the Anti Defamation League found that there had been 1,879 anti-Semitic incidents in 2018, slightly down from 2017, but still at a historically high level.  The New York Police Department has said that there have been more anti-Jewish incidents in the city in 2019 than all other crimes added together.

There are bright spots, reflecting a willingness, an eagerness to learn and to not forget.  The University of Southern California's Shoah Foundation features more than 52,000 Holocaust testimonies that are frequently accessed.  The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum had more than 1.6 million visitors in 2018, 93% of which were non-Jewish.

We still have a long way to go, though.  Only 11 states require that Holocaust history be taught in school.  This is reflected in the gaps in education of the current generation.  Among millennials, 66% of them could not identify Auschwitz, 22% of them could not confirm hearing of the Holocaust.  If you want an excellent film on why this is important, watch Denial, a historical film based on Deborah Lipstadt's work and case against noted Holocaust denier David Irving.

It seems history is more important to us than ever before.  If only we would listen.  May we never forget and may we ever be vigilant.

What We've Learned

I originally wrote this on November 9, 2016 and I thought it would be good to revisit now that the Trump presidency is over.  It's eery how prescient it seems now, with hindsight being what it is.  Particularly in light of the events after this most recent election and the violent insurrection of January 6, 2021.  I wanted to give this a week after the inauguration; I think it's timely now.

I've added a few editorial thoughts throughout with my feelings regarding our current state of the union.

"It's been a very interesting election season and the night itself last night proved to be just as unpredictable and frustrating. I look over the things we've learned this year and there are some bitter pills to swallow.

 
We've learned that fear is still the greatest political motivator.

          It still is, it's what has carried on through this election.  If I see one more post about how socialists are overtaking America, I might scream.  They all reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of what socialism actually means and looks like, and how easily that word can be used to stir up voter's fear.
We've learned that personality matters more than policy.

          Again, yes.  How many times has Sleepy Joe popped up?  Or that the new press secretary isn't as "appealing" as Kayleigh McEnany.
We've learned that opinions and feelings matter more than facts.

          Alternative facts, the Big Lie that the election was stolen despite no evidence to support it.  The fact that a number of Congressmen are still calling for an audit of the 2020 election simply because their supporters "feel" that it was illegitimate should be concerning enough, but when you remember that the base "feels" that way because their leadership lied to them, it's downright frightening.  Watching people like Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, and Josh Hawley go out of their way to avoid saying their was actual fraud (because they can't support it), or to avoid saying that they believe there was actual fraud, but to continue to beat the drum of their supporters believing it has been nothing short of incredible.
We've learned that words do not matter.

          "There are very fine people on both sides."  "Proud boys, stand by and stand back." "Because you'll never take back our country with weakness.  You have to show strength and you have to be strong." "So go home, we love you, you're very special."  I could go on and on.  For everything, there's always a tweet.
We've learned that moral relativity is acceptable so long as it is for the right side.

          This is what broke me.  I'm old enough to remember the Clinton presidency well, and it's not hard to see great parallels between Clinton and Trump.  To see the same people in my circles who called for Clinton's head now praising Trump defies logic and description.
We've seen that the Church can be swayed with promises of power.

          This is the most disappointing.  How many in the church have not only just supported the Republican party, no matter what, but have whole heartedly embraced everything Trump stood for and shamed anyone who could not agree.  A president who displayed none of the characteristics of a Christian life, embraced by many as the savior of our country is disheartening.  The Christian imagery at the insurrection is sickening.

 
I wish President Trump the best, I really do. I hope he is at best able to surprise us and show a deftness in political maneuvering that is not expected, or at worst, he is truly just a figure head like he has indicated he wishes to be and lets Pence and the rest of his team actually run things.
          This lasted for a few months, apparently before Trump couldn't stand people telling him no.  The high turn over rate in his executive staff was historic.

 
But this is not a win for America. Honestly, there was no win for America in this election.

          Similarly, there was no win for America in this presidency.  We were not "made great again."  Our flaws were exposed and laid bare.  The worst demons of our nature were empowered.  And we will be dealing with its repercussions for years to come.

 
This is how the republic falls.
        And it nearly did.  More than anything, these last four years taught us how fragile our republic is.

 
A country extremely divided, with little hope of bridging those gaps and a incoming president whom seems more interested in continuing to drive the wedge with the policies that he has espoused. We are divided by race, religion, class, and education. And the polling statistics bear this out.

         We're still here.  We're still divided.  And this should be a friendly reminder that unity doesn't mean one party gets to hold the other hostage.  One party doesn't get to demand the other capitulate and then cry that the other doesn't want to unite.  

 
And this is not a win for the Republican Party. This reveals the path forward of the Republican Party for years to come and it's not pretty. It turns over traditional Republican values to the far right portion of the party.

         And the movement to the extremes continues as it seems Trump will either split or continue to guide the Republican party for the foreseeable future.  Hawley, Cruz, Gohmert, Boebert, and Greene continue to pander to the Trump base, positioning themselves for greater position in the party because of it.

 
Dear God forgive us, I fear we know not what we do. We thank you that ultimately in control and watching over your people. Let us trust in you for our future and cling to you for our peace. Show us how to stand out and be different in this country going forward and to be your salt and light in this extremely divided climate."

The prayer remains the same.  I pray for the Biden administration.  I pray for our country.  I pray for the Church to repent of its idolatry of politics, to repent of its looking for an earthly king as a savior, and for it to get back to the business of being the set apart.

If only we would.

Rent @ 25

Today marks the the 25th Anniversary of the opening performance of Rent Off-Broadway.  A rock opera update of La Boheme, set in the late 1980s/early 1990s Village in New York City.  Written by Jonathan Larson, the musical touched on the HIV/AIDS crisis, multiculturalism, addiction, homophobia, transphobia.  It wrestled with the struggle between art and commerce.  Essentially, it remains the quintessential Generation X musical.

And my college self was the perfect age to discover this show as it toured Austin just a few years later. This was a show for outcasts and we naturally were drawn to it.

The songs in Rent lift the show far beyond the every day musical.  Songs like Seasons of Love and One Song Glory have become staples in musical theater circles.  Even what would be considered smaller numbers like Life Support move the story forward and move the audience greater than many other classic show tunes.  Larson's ability to heavy material lyrically is unmatched, as is his ability to use comedy in song.  

Rent has received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical.  Larson won the 1996 Best Book for a Musical and Best Score awards.  The show has grossed $280 million through its various productions.  With its twelve year run on Broadway it remains one of the longest running shows on Broadway.

Sadly, January 25, 1996 is remembered for another significant event in the production of Rent.  Larson passed away that morning from an aortic dissection at the age of 35.  He had been experiencing chest pains, dizziness, and shortness of breath for days before, but had been misdiagnosed as suffering from the flu or stress.  

Larson's death left the cast and crew with an humbling query - how to proceed.  It was decided that opening night would go forward, though with a staged reading.  No costumes, no sets, just the actors performing their lines and singing the songs with the band.  The staged reading lasted until the end of Act I, where the infectiousness of La Vie Boheme led cast members to jump on the tables, as the choreography would have normally required.  The second act became much more of a performance.  

After the performance finished and the actors returned backstage to take off their mics, they came back on stage to discover that the audience had not left.  The 200 or so family and friends had remained in the theater in silence, waiting, wanting to continue the magic and the poignance of what they just witnessed.

Man, I miss live theater.

There does comes a point when you know you've reached an age where you can no longer identify with the characters in the show.  The struggle against the hopelessness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic will always resonate, but, the fight to not pay rent, becomes a little grating.  

I've crossed that line.  Jamie and I saw another tour version of the show recently and while the music still connects, the storyline gets a bit aggravating. 

I've still got most of the soundtrack memorized, though.  That part will be forever etched in my brain and that music will continue to move me.

It will serve as a remind of how best to spend out time here on earth.  

One year.  

525,600 minutes.  

How do you measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee, in inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife?

Think about it.  2020 had more than its share of problems and there are a lot of ways we measure it.

How about in love?

Measure in love.

The Hill We Climb

"When day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade? The loss we carry, a sea we must wade. We’ve braved the belly of the beast. We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace. In the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always justice.

And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow, we do it. Somehow, we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished. We, the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one.

And yes, we are far from polished, far from pristine, but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge our union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.

And so, we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know, to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another. We seek harm to none and harmony for all. Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true. That even as we grieved, we grew. That even as we hurt, we hoped; that even as we tired, we tried; that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious. Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.

Scripture tells us to envision that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid. If we’re to live up to our own time, then victory won’t lie in the blade, but in all the bridges we’ve made. That is the promise to glade, the hill we climb if only we dare it. Because being American is more than a pride we inherit; it’s the past we step into and how we repair it. We’ve seen a forest that would shatter our nation rather than share it, would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated. In this truth, in this faith we trust, for while we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us. This is the era of just redemption. We feared it at its inception. We did not feel prepared to be the heirs of such a terrifying hour, but within it, we found the power to author a new chapter, to offer hope and laughter to ourselves.

So, while once we asked: “How could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?” Now we assert, “How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?”

We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be: a country that is bruised, but whole; benevolent, but bold; fierce and free. We will not be turned around or interrupted by intimidation, because we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation. Our blunders become their burdens. But one thing is certain, if we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy, and change our children’s birthright.

So, let us leave behind a country better than one we were left. With every breath from my bronze-pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one. We will rise from the gold-limned hills of the West. We will rise from the wind-swept Northeast where our forefathers first realized revolution. We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the Midwestern states. We will rise from the sun-baked South. We will rebuild, reconcile and recover in every known nook of our nation, in every corner called our country our people diverse and beautiful will emerge battered and beautiful.

When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it."

Amanda Gorman, America's Youth Poet Laureate, January 20, 2021

Inauguration Day 2021

"This is democracy's day.  Democracy has prevailed."

President Joseph Biden, January 20, 2021

And with that, we have another successful, peaceful transition of power.  President Joseph Biden has been sworn in as the 46th President of the United States of America.  And in a historic moment, Vice President Kamala Harris has become the first female vice president, first female head of the executive branch, first African-American vice president, first Indian-American vice-president.  

The ceremony certainly looked differently.  It was a recognition of the pandemic, a recognition of the insurrection, a recognition of our division.  But it went ahead without interruption, without incident.  President Biden, further, accomplished what he needed to do.  A call for unity.  A plea to the better angels of our nature.

We have seen over the past several days, weeks, and months that our democracy is fragile.

Today is a reminder that democracy stands.  How long depends on us. 

May God bless the President and Vice President of these United States. 

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2021

Today we set aside to recognize the contributions of a man to the cause of equality.  A recognition of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contributions to non-violent protest, equality, and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

An ordained Baptist minister, you can see the inspiration he drew from the commands to love the Lord your God above all, to love your neighbor as yourself, and to love your enemies.  His call for non-violence from Jesus' instruction to turn the other cheek.

He serves as a reminder to us that we are all derived from one creator; that there is "neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  We could add to that list that there is neither black nor white.  

And he reminds us that our founding documents declare that "all men are created equal" and it is our job to hold our country to that truth.  

"All we say to America is, "Be true to what you said on paper." If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand some of these illegal injunctions. Maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn't committed themselves to that over there. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right. And so just as I say, we aren't going to let dogs or water hoses turn us around, we aren't going to let any injunction turn us around. We are going on."

Since 1994, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has been recognized as a day for service.  The only federal holiday to be a day on, not a day off, reflecting our responsibility to each other.  May we remember the call to action.  And refuse to be silent about the things that matter.

Trump Impeached Once Again

In a historic move, the House of Representatives has voted to impeach President Trump for a second time.  The vote was 232 for impeachment, 197 against, and largely along party lines.  Though there is a spot of hope - 10 Republican Representatives voted FOR impeachment, including high ranking leadership like Liz Cheney.

This is unprecedented.  This makes Trump the first president to be impeached twice.  It makes Trump's impeachment count equal with all prior presidential impeachments.  Trump's impeachment included just one article, incitement of insurrection, making him the first president to be impeached for ties to insurrection.

We remain in dark days in this country.  While this move is necessary, it is not something to be celebrated.  The fact that we are here reflected on how fragile our democracy is, how easily portions of us can be swayed by mis- and dis-information, and just how much damage has been done over the past five years.

We do have bright spots, though.  While once again, this may not result in any kind of action in the Senate, it reflects an attempt to provide consequences for the president's actions leading up to last Wednesday.  We also see Republicans willing to step up and be patriots.  To put country above party and to endanger their seat by refusing to capitulate to Trump and his cult like base.  Their willingness to vote for impeachment signals the beginning of the end for Trump in the Republican party.  Whether that is through a complete fracture or through a disassociation remains to be seen.

Either way, it will certainly be an interesting seven days ahead

Inevitability and Identity

I’ve been struggling a lot the latter part of this week to put my thoughts regarding Wednesday’s attempted coup into words. And so much keeps happening, so much keeps being revealed this week that its been dizzying to try and keep up. In this process, I hit on two words that have kept repeating throughout the discourse I’ve witnessed over these past four days and ringing through my own head. 

Inevitability and Identity. 

Each relate to unique sentiments expressed in virtually all discussion I observed regarding the events. First, that the events themselves were not a surprise. And second, that they do not represent us. 

The first statement being an acknowledgment of the series of events that led to the insurrection on Wednesday. The second an attempt to assure ourselves that America is better than this. 

One is a truth we must acknowledge, the other a lie, or at least a half-truth, that must be dismantled. 

I’d like to discuss them both in turn. 

Inevitability. 

If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

Abraham Lincoln, January 1838

First, inevitability. That the events of Wednesday, January 6, 2021 should not come as a surprise to anyone. They shock the conscience for sure. They are galling. They are horrifying in their implications. And we have valid reasons to be worried about the next several days because of them. But they do not come as a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention over the past five years. 

The events of the insurrection were the natural result of the narrative that Donald J. Trump spent the last five years finely crafting. The victimhood and persecution of the conservative. His narcissistic personality disorder refusing to acknowledge any situation in which he could fairly lose. Before the 2016 election, he had already started the narrative that any election he lost would have to be rigged against him. Before he was even a proven candidate. 

It’s something we’ve also seen before. Page after page, Trump followed the playbook of the authoritarian and dictatorial regimes that he so often praised. You know, the ones that have led to actual, successful coups.  So, once again, it’s not surprising to see a electoral loss followed by persuasion to strong arm tactics to maintain power, just like those political influences. 

Further, Trump held sway over a fanatical base that was and remains willing to die for him.  He amped up a base that hung on his every word, with the fervor reserved for the most charismatic cult leaders (more on that tomorrow).  And like most cults, this one seems destined to end in a horrible spectacle. 

We don’t even have to look that far back to see the greatest seeds of the sacking of the capital. Just go back to November 2020, following Trump’s projected loss. His calls to fight this to the very end. A refusal to concede or acknowledge defeat. Repeated lies regarding election fraud. Giuliani’s calls for “violence in the streets” and “trial by combat.”  Trump’s day of speech directing his soldiers to march on the capital. To keep the fight going. 

Yes, the seditious attack on the capital was many things, but it was not a surprise. 

Identity. 

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!

Langston Hughes

Which brings us to the second sentiment. That those who perpetrated this heinous act do not represent us. That they are not America. That America is better than this. 

Sorry, but no. That’s not true. Those who perpetrated this act absolutely are America. They are us. 

At least a part of us. America is absolutely the great hope represented by the historic victories in the Georgia senate runoffs. The first African-American senator elected from Georgia.  Astounding that it has taken this long when you realize that Georgia has the third largest African-American population by count and by percentage. 

But we are also the racist, anti-semitic, xenophobic, white nationalistic, anti-intellectual regression represented by storming of the capital. We are in this situation because we continue to try and ignore this part of our National identity instead of dealing with it once and for all.  We’re the infected patient treating the symptom but not the virus. The addict replacing one addiction for another instead of finally kicking the habit. 

What we saw Wednesday is the result of never really dealing with the National sin of slavery. The result of prematurely ending Reconstruction to appease the Southern States directly enabling Jim Crow laws to be enacted and turning a blind eye to them. The result of the one successful coup in American history, in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1898, the replacement of a biracial governing body with a white supremacist one.  The result of following the landmark Civil Rights legislation of the 1960s with Redlining  

The result of years of terrible history education in the South based on material that the United Daughters of the Confederacy approved as not harmful to the South, propping up years of belief in the Lost Cause.  This leads to the uncovering of of actual history being labeled as revisionism or fabrication.  All because too many people can’t let go of the myth.  Can’t let go do the lie created by a bunch of racists Southern white women.

The result of a country where largely minority peaceful protestors are tear gassed, shot with rubber bullets, and arrested in droves so the President can take a photo op, while largely white rioters storming the Capital seem to be let in the front door and have a handful arrested in response. 

It’s a result of the perverse mix of religion and politics in America. Particularly within the Evangelical community. A unholy marriage that preys on the Evangelical persecution  complex to make gains for political power. That voice that tells us there is a War on Christmas or that still feels forced prayer in schools is somehow the key to saving America. The voice that tells Christians any minor inconvenience they experience in this country is persecution. The Religious Right accomplishing all the wrong things. 

It’s the result of our cowboy mythology that tells us we don’t need anyone else. That we’re rugged individualists whose ultimate goal is to be free to do what we want. A perversion of the American dream that says that freedom is not being told what to do. And that any voice contrary is an assault on our fundamental freedoms. 

It’s the inherent rebel nature of our country. Constantly in search of a rebellion worth fighting for. We started as scrappy rebels and still see ourselves as such. When we can’t find a just cause, we’ll settle for any cause. 

It’s the result of identity politics that has convinced us that those across the political aisle are the vilest evil scum of the earth.  That thread that believes no Christian can be a Democrat.  That thought that Obama and Hillary were actual demons that smelled like sulfur.  That had bought into the idea that all our political leaders (or more specifically, the ones I don’t agree with) are in an elite pedophilia ring that controls the world.  Maybe it’s time to remember that they are just people, fellow citizens who happen to have different views about how best to improve the country. 

This failed coup represents and will continue to represent America as much as those historic successes do. We are that combination of our millstones and our milestones. Our progressive leaps forward and our many regressive steps backward.

We are what we have always been, a country with the greatest ideals in the world, who most often utterly fails to live up to them. 

Our choice now, is how we proceed. Do we finally address the scabs that Wednesday reveals?  The deep scars and healing that needs to occur?  Do we decide to live up to what America can be? Or do we continue to live in that paradoxical state in between?

That is what will be revealed over these next few days. It’s why there are certain actions that must be taken over the next few days to cement our path forward. 

Republicans and conservatives must own up to the fact that this wasn’t Antifa, but it was a part of their base. The Antifa story was another outright lie and proven fabrication meant to once again mislead millions of Americans.  It was meant to once again provide that shield that this wasn’t us, it can’t be us, it’s someone else. No, it’s time to own up to it and to disavow it. Most have, but there remain several that are still trying to appease and appeal to the worst demons of our nature so they can jockey for position in 2022 and 2024. Enough. 

Trump must be impeached and removed from office. It’s time to show that actions and words have consequences, beyond just being kicked off social media. This step is important to bar him from further office, to prevent his attempt to pardon himself and other co-conspirators, and to deny him the future privileges of his office. When you invite insurrection against the country your are in charge of, you shouldn’t get to continue to benefit from it. 

It’s time to put aside identity politics.  To remember that we are all Americans. That there isn’t one right way to do this. That compromise isn’t always a dirty word, it’s most often how things actually get done. That we need each other to sharpen one another. 

You know, to remember how it’s supposed to work. Who we are supposed to be.  

To remember our ideals and actually strive to live up to them.  Then, maybe then, we can start to heal. It would be inevitable. 

Once Again, This Isn't How The First Amendment Works

Looks like 2021 is shaping up to be much like 2020.  Too much happening, delaying what I want to write about for what I need to write about.  And since it seems everyone has become a Constitutional scholar once again, I feel we need to have a discussion about how the First Amendment (and in fact, all of our Constitutional protections actually work).

For those who mercifully don't know, discussions of censorship and the First Amendment protection of free speech are popping up again because social media companies like Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter banned President Trump from their platforms as a result of Wednesday's insurrection at the Capital.  Tech companies like Apple and Google have gone further and removed or threatened to remove the social media site Parler from their app stores, unless the "unregulated" platforms put in some kind of content moderation.

This move has of course led to cries of censorship and a violation of the First Amendment Protection of Free Speech from those on the right.  There have been both calls to leave Twitter and to launch a Spartacus-like #WeAreTrump hashtag.  Hard to both leave and trend at the same time.

You can tell the Twitter ban particularly hurt Trump, especially when you view the timeline of his epic addict-like downward spiral yesterday.

It began when Twitter and Facebook immediately banned Trump on Thursday following his incitement of the protestors leading to the sacking of the Capital and the failed insurrection attempt.  Facebook's ban was almost immediately announced to be permanent.  Twitter's was initially a temporary suspension - a twelve-hour ban or cooling off period if you will.  

Once his twitter was reactivated, Trump sent out two since deleted tweets.  The first looked to the future, the second addressed the inauguration.

"The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future.  They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!" - January 8, 2021, 9:46 am

"To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th." - January 8, 2021, 10:44am

Emphasis mine.

Twitter decided in light of those two tweets and in light of Trump's half-hearted "concession" speech, to ban Trump indefinitely.

As part of Twitter's analysis, it feared Trump's most recent tweets were being interpreted as supporting the rioters and that plans for future armed protests had already been proliferating both on and off the platform, including a proposed attack on the U.S. Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17.  They also feared that Trump's announcement of his intent not to attend the Inauguration could be seen as free rein to attempt a second uprising at the Inaugural event.

Trump took the banning as well as any toddler who has been told no does.  Which is to say, it led to a desperate meltdown.

Trump first tried to tweet via the official President of The United States Twitter handle @POTUS.

Twitter quickly deleted those tweets as a violation

Trump was undeterred and moved to the TeamTrump twitter handle.

It too quickly joined the ban.

Trump then got Gary Coby, his Digital Director, to hand over his account and to rename it to Donald J. Trump, though the @GaryCoby still remained.  Through that account, Trump made it very clear who was tweeting, trying to reach out to Dan Scavino, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Director of Social Media.

Coby was then banned for a violation of their Enablement Policy.  Essentially a clause that prevents others from helping someone around a ban.

Trump's latest was to create a new handle @ThisIsPOTUS45, on which he tweeted "BIG CENSORSHIP FROM TWITTER! IT'S NOT OVER YET!" and including screen grabs of his previous attempts.

That didn't work either.

It would be comical if it wasn't so sad.  It reeks of an addict jonesing for his fix, desperate to send out another 140 character bon mot.  A cult leader who needs to be in constant touch with his followers to ensure that he maintains his grip on their reality.

And this is our president.  At least for a few days more.

This brings us to the cries of censorship and a violation of Free Speech and a necessary reminder as to why there is no actionable violation in all of this.  

First, yes, this is censorship, but that really doesn't matter.  Censorship isn't actionable unless it affects a protected class based on that class identification or is perpetuated by a governmental actor.  Neither are present in this case.  Political affiliation is only a protected class in only a few states.  It's not protected on a federal level.  So you can be dropped from a platform for being a conservative and it still wouldn't be actionable.  It would be highly problematic, it would be financial suicide for companies, but it wouldn't be legally actionable.

It's also not what happened here.  Trump wasn't dropped because he is a "conservative."  (I can't even write in good conscience that he is a conservative without the air quotes.  Trump is Trump and a party unto itself.)  He wasn't dropped for spouting conservative talking points.  He was dropped because he's proven himself to at least negligently and at most deliberately incite a riot because he lost.  And he's still refused to acknowledge his involvement in the event, to shame those involved, and to fully admit defeat.  His statements since the insurrection attempt continue to perpetuate an image of him continuing to fight for a victory "stolen" from him and to encourage his followers to keep up the faith.

He was dropped because he continues to peddle in lies and at some point, if we want to put an end to misinformation, to disinformation, and to "fake news," we have to recognize that those that peddle it cannot be given platforms to continue to speak it.  Facebook, Twitter, Apple, and Google are private companies that have no obligation to provide the president a platform to voice his every thought.  He already has a press department, can call a press conference at the drop of a hat, and could be aired on every network if he needed.  They've even activated that forced message to all cellular phones technology.  He hasn't been silenced; he's just been inconvenienced from using his favorite rant delivery mechanism.

Which brings us to Free Speech.  Again, Free Speech isn't implicated because these are all private actors.  Private companies and individuals can censor all they like, within very few restrictions.  They can refuse service to anyone, so long as it is not a person in a protected class.  Facebook could decide to only let on people with red hair, green eyes, and who love the band Bowling for Soup.  Twitter could block all vegetarians if they so decided.  They could, it wouldn't be smart and the market would bear that out, but they absolutely could legally do so.  

What we are seeing is a free market action deciding what is permissible in its space.  You know, the kind of thing conservatives used to champion.  It's the same argument conservatives were making when it was a Christian baker and a cake for a gay wedding.  It's just getting a different response when the shoe is on the other foot.

I have to admit enjoying a bit of schadenfreude last night.  Watching a president who has repeatedly and continually used Twitter as a weapon to appeal to the lowest demons of our nature be locked out from his favorite past time was a bit of beautiful serendipity in the midst of all this chaos.  This same person who unleashed a 44 tweet monstrosity in October last year following his hospitalization for COVID, revealing how deep his addiction goes.

It's another reminder of why what we do, what the Congress does over the next eleven days is so vitally important.  It matters, the precedent it sets matters, and his actions have to have consequences.

This one, at least, was somewhat funny to watch.

Trump’s America

AKA American Carnage

I tried to write today and had planned to discuss the events that happened yesterday.  What it says about us.  But I can't.  It's too raw.  Too soon.  Hopefully will be up tomorrow, as I'm still processing and gathering my thoughts on the events of the day.

Instead, I offer 8,000 words and other media, that should leave us all speechless.

“If we are wrong we will be made fools of, but if we are right, a lot of them will go to jail!  So let’s have trial by combat! I’m willing to stake, I’m willing to stake my reputation, the president is willing to stake his reputation on the fact that we’re going to find criminality there!”  Rudy Giuliani, speaking at the so called "March to Save America", 10:00 am

"And after this, we're going to walk down there, and I'll be there with you, we're going to walk down ... to the Capitol and we are going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.  And we're probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them. Because you'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong."  President Trump at the so called "March to Save America," 12:00 pm

Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021

I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021

”The words of a president matter, no matter how good or bad that president is. At their best, the words of a president can inspire. At their worst, they can incite. Therefore, I call on President Trump to go on national television now to fulfill his oath and defend the constitution and demand an end to this siege.”
President-Elect Joe Biden, 3:30 pm

“This was a fraudulent election but we can’t play into the hands of these people, we have to have peace.  So go home, we love you, you’re very special.”  President Trump's video calling the seditionists to stand down, released on Twitter, 4:17 pm

"Senator Tuberville? Or I should say Coach Tuberville. This is Rudy Giuliani, the president’s lawyer. I’m calling you because I want to discuss with you how they’re trying to rush this hearing and how we need you, our Republican friends, to try to just slow it down so we can get these legislatures to get more information to you. And I know they’re reconvening at 8 tonight, but it … the only strategy we can follow is to object to numerous states and raise issues so that we get ourselves into tomorrow—ideally until the end of tomorrow.

I know McConnell is doing everything he can to rush it, which is kind of a kick in the head because it’s one thing to oppose us, it’s another thing not to give us a fair opportunity to contest it. And he wants to try to get it down to only three states that we contest. But there are 10 states that we contest, not three. So if you could object to every state and, along with a congressman, get a hearing for every state, I know we would delay you a lot, but it would give us the opportunity to get the legislators who are very, very close to pulling their vote, particularly after what McConnell did today. It angered them, because they have written letters asking that you guys adjourn and send them back the questionable ones and they’ll fix them up.

So, this phone number, I’m available on all night, and it would be an honor to talk to you. Thank you."

Rudy Giuliani in mis-dialed call intended for Senator Tuberville, voicemail left between the insurrection and the reseating of Congress, revealing the President's priorities at the time

"These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!"

President Trump in tweet deleted by Twitter, 11:01 pm, repeating his lies about the 2020 election

Welcome to Trump's America.  Had enough yet?

Epiphany

Epiphany

"A manifestation of a divine or supernatural being; a moment of sudden revelation or insight."

Today marks Epiphany, or Three Kings Day.  Twelfth Night has ended, and the magi have arrived.  A celebration of the visit of the Magi to the Christ child, and the physical manifestation of Christ to the gentiles.

After today, the twelve days of Christmas are over and we enter Carnival.  King Cake season.  A celebration in preparation of the coming fast.

I think the Biblical account of the Magi provides us a blueprint for how to approach this new year with the appropriate viewpoint.

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.  When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.  'In Bethlehem in Judea,' they replied, 'for this is what the prophet has written:

'"But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel."'

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and search carefully for the child.  As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.'

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed (They rejoiced with exceeding great joy).  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."

What would it look like if we started the year with exceeding great joy, celebrating our encounter with the Messiah?  If we brought Him the best gifts we can, that reflect His character.  Gold celebrated His kingship, frankincense celebrated His deity, and myrrh celebrated His death.  What would we bring, what aspect of His character would we celebrate?

That's our call in this season, in this new year.  To rejoice with exceeding great joy.

There is also a warning in this passage.  When the Magi question the leadership of Israel, it's clear that all the priests and scribes know what to look for, where the Messiah will be born.  They have all the knowledge necessary to go and find him.  But the Magi are the only ones who do.  You would think some of those scribes would be curious enough to go and see if this is finally it, if the Messiah has arrived.  But none leave their routine.  None leave their pattern or comfort.  

Don't get so stuck in your routine that you miss the miraculous around you.

Go forth, celebrate the season.  Let's start the year with joy.  And may we carry that spirit forward throughout the year.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas

Twelfth Night

Tonight marks the end of Christmastide. The Ghost of Christmas Present lives through midnight this evening, so may the spirit of the season still be with you.  Tonight we feast.  The decorations have all been left up, the lights are all on.  We gather together to spread merriment and cheer.  

It's a time to eat king cakes and rum cakes, and to drink wassail.  It's also a time for the upending of the normal.  Where the Lord of Misrule enjoys one last night of his reign, calling for songs, entertainment, and plays.  Servants often dressed up as their masters, men as women and so forth.

It's this atmosphere Shakespeare captured in Twelfth Night, or What You Will.  A comedy of errors and misunderstanding.  Of mistaken identities.  It's a celebration of love and joy and a fitting end to this holiday season. 

"If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again! it had a dying fall:
O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet south,
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing and giving odour! Enough; no more:
'Tis not so sweet now as it was before.
O spirit of love! how quick and fresh art thou,
That, notwithstanding thy capacity 10
Receiveth as the sea, nought enters there,
Of what validity and pitch soe'er,
But falls into abatement and low price,
Even in a minute: so full of shapes is fancy
That it alone is high fantastical."

I pray this Christmastide has been a joyous season for you, that these Twelve Days of Christmas has been full of love and laughter, of exceeding great joy, and this new year has started well for you.  May it continue in the days ahead.  

"Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too;
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year."

The Eleventh Day of Christmas

Or, back to the routine. Today is for many, the first day of work in the new year, the first day of school, the first day back after an extended break, etc. 

It’s that difficult day of trying to get back in the swing of things after several days of staying up late, sleeping in, and generally just enjoying the time however you see fit. 

Today was a challenge. Thankfully Avalyn does not start back to school until tomorrow. That will be the real test. 

To all of you that did have to head back in, I hope the transition back was an easy one. To those of you who did not, I hope you were able to enjoy the day. 

Here’s hoping the routine gets easier over the next few days. 

The Tenth Day of Christmas

 The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus

"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus."

Luke 1:31

"But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.'  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel'

(which means, God with us)."

Matthew 1:20-21

"But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb."

Luke 2:19-21

"That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth."

Philippians 2:10

"For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"

Romans 10:13

Though often celebrated on January 1, or the Eighth Day of Christmas, today marks a celebration of the Holy Name of Jesus.

And what a name worth celebrating.

Jesus is derived from the Greek name Ἰησοῦς, a form of the Hebrew Yeshua or Joshua, meaning Yahweh saves, is salvation, is a saving-cry, is my help.

That Jesus is born is the good news of Christmas.  That our salvation is born.  That God saves.  And that He is Emmanuel. God is with us.  God cares for us.  Our God saves.

Names matter in Hebrew culture. When a parent gives a child a name, the parent is giving the child a connection to previous generations.  The parent is also making a statement about their hope for who their child will become.  In this way, the name carries with it some identity for the child.  This is why it was so striking that the angel would tell Mary what the child's name would be.  He was asserting God's parentage and identifying the child for the world.  

Our God saves indeed.  He is worthy to be praised.

It's in His very name.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
There's just something about that name. 
Master, Savior, Jesus,
Like the fragrance after the rain.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Let all heaven and earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away
But there's something about that name.

The Ninth Day of Christmas

The Road Back Home

A short one today.

Today marks the end of our celebration.  We're hitting the road and heading back to Indiana.  We had a wonderful time with both families and a wonderful time in Texas.  And while it's going to be a long day on the road, we'll look forward to getting back home and starting this new year off now.  We may even have snow tomorrow!

I hope you and yours had a great Christmas season and look forward to continuing these posts and this journey in the days ahead.

The Eighth Day of Christmas

New Year's Day

Welcome to 2021.  An opportunity to start a new chapter, a new story, a new verse.  

It seems we are all in want of that lately.  We want to shake off 2020 and all it brought and move back into brighter times.  There's no reason a new start should limited to today alone, but the day and the occasion does make for a good transition.

In this season of resolutions, I pray you make them and work towards them.  If nothing else, to try something new and different.  Something you've always wanted to do.  Be bold.  Be daring.  Shoot for the moon.  Be wild and ambitious.  But most of all be kind.  If it's one thing I've observed and wished for my life, it is that we need more kindness in the world, especially now.  Pure, unadulterated kindness.  To view the whole world as our neighborhood.  I hope to be a part of that change.

"Come, gentlemen, I hope we shall drink down all unkindness."  William Shakespeare

If we should keep anything of 2020, it should be a reminder that human connection is absolutely necessary.  We've seen how our time with our immediate families could be strengthened through time together.  We've longed for the ability to connect with friends, with family, with others around us that we've missed through these months.  We recognize that kindness, that friendship is a warmth shared between us.  

In year's past, I've shared my favorite New Year's posts from one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman.  Last year, he shared a poem, that started by asking what people on Twitter thought of when they heard the word "warmth."  The following is the poem he wrote from the collection of their responses.

When You Need to be Warm.

"A baked potato of a winter's night to wrap your 

hands around or burn your mouth.

A blanket knitted by your mother's cunning fingers. Or your 

grandmother's.

A smile, a touch, trust, as you walk in from the snow 

or return to it, the tips of your ears pricked pink and frozen.

The tink tink tink of iron radiators waking in an old house.

To surface from dreams in a bed, burrowed beneath 

blankets and comforters,

the change of state from cold to warm is all that matters,

and you think

just one more minute snuggled here before you face the

chill.  Just one.

Places we slept as children: they warm us in the memory

We travel to an inside from the outside.  To the orange

flames of the fireplace

or the wood burning in the stove.  Breath-ice on the inside 

of windows,

to be scratched off with a fingernail, melted with a whole 

hand.

Frost on the ground that stays in the shadows, waiting for

us.

Wear a scarf.  Wear a coat.  Wear a sweater.  Wear socks.  Wear

thick gloves.

An infant as she sleeps between us.  A tumble of dogs,

a kindle of cats and kittens.  Come inside.  You're safe now.

A kettle boiling at the stove. Your family or friends are

there.  They smile.

Cocoa or chocolate, tea or coffee, soup or toddy, what you

know you need.

A heat exchange, they give it to you, you take the mug

and start to thaw.  While outside, for some of us, the

journey began.

as we walked away from our grandparents' houses

away from the places we knew as children: changes of 

state and state and state,

to stumble across a stony desert, or to brave the deep

waters,

while food and friends, home, a bed, even a blanket

become just memories.

Sometimes it only takes a stranger, in a dark place,

to hold out a badly-knitted scarf, to offer a kind word, to

say

we have the right to be here, to make us warm in the

coldest season.

You have the right to be here."

Should auld acquaintance be forgot...

We'll drink a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

Happy New Year!  To 2021!