It has been 3 1/2 years since my last post, but after multiple moves and other events, hopefully I am settled down enough to once again bring “pen to paper”.
It is mind-boggling that this will be our 7th Christmas without my Tom, but of course my family always carries him in our hearts in everything we do – we continue tried and true Tom Dane holiday traditions and new Betsy Dane/Allie & Matt Paul family traditions have been established and I have tried hard to keep all of my promises to him.
That being said, and I know he would agree, I am hard pressed to be tremendously optimistic during this generally joy-filled holiday season. Although I am truly thankful that my family and friends are healthy and generally doing okay, I am absolutely terrified that the incoming wannabe king will create an America that I don’t recognize. For the sake of my children and grandchildren, I hope that there are enough of us to fight this and get through the next four years. We must hold dear all of the freedoms that our forefathers, military ancestors, previous administrations, and even the old GOP worked so hard to ensure. We must never forget that freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to love whomever we want and be whoever we want, freedom over our personal choices (both medical and religious), freedom to give aid and shelter to those who seek asylum without fear of recrimination and the freedom to love and protect our planet are ingrained right down to the very core of our essence and souls. Let us not revert to the time when the fear of differences determined where we could dine, where greed was more important than charity, where hate was more important than love and where power was more important than freedom.
I suggest that one realizes that EVERY American other than Native Americans are, were or are the descendants of immigrants. My Tom was the descendant of Thomas Brigham, who sailed from England to Massachusetts on the Suzan and Ellen in 1635 – an IMMIGRANT. Both of my parents were born in New York City, but both were the children of IMMIGRANTS. Donald Trump – son of immigrants and married to an immigrant. How DARE they punish those trying to flee poverty, tyranny and injustice with poverty, tyranny and injustice. And do they also realize that the most horrific US massacres – the school shootings, the Las Vegas shooting, the Oklahoma bombing, the Pulse Nightclub shooting – were all the acts of homegrown, white men and NOT immigrants?
The idea that so many of his sleazy, inadequate and inexperienced DJT-ring-kissing “friends” will hold important national and international positions of power, that his obvious nepotism knows no bounds, and even that his sheer ignorance of finance will create massive price increases across the board, all in the name of nationalism (which, by the way, is NOT patriotism) is beyond frightening. The fact that so many have fallen for his con, have forgiven his sins (and, by the way, he has violated EVERY commandment and committed EVERY one of the 7 deadly sins) speaks to the downfall of a nation…a similar downfall that is truly synonymous with Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. When you see book banning, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, bigotry, misogyny and overall hatred in the name of country – what do you think will happen?
NEWS FLASH, Gentle Readers: The Constitution of the United States was written to protect Americans from tyranny. It provided for freedom to think., read, worship and love as one wanted without governmental influence. It did not establish a Christian nation but recognized that this country was founded by IMMIGRANTS who were fleeing religious persecution. It did not establish a heterosexual nation, or a white one or a male one. And, for those Christians who worship this self-proclaimed chosen one named Trump – he preaches NOTHING of Jesus’ teachings and is as far from a true Christian as anyone can be. How those who worship him can go to church on Sundays then be so hateful once they leave is beyond me. Especially during this season when they are celebrating the birth of the Christ child.
All that being said, I still have hope – we have lived through a lot of bad times and multiple tragic events and have come out strong. I hope that strength prevails now. My wish for everyone is health, love, happiness, prosperity and above all peace during this holiday season and the coming year(s). And that the freedom of speech is exemplified in this blog post.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
Well said, Betsy. Faith is a little hard to come by right now (I think I’m still in denial), but I, too, believe deep down that we will prevail.
Fran – the denial is real. It shocks me that so many have fallen for this conman and that he has opened a Pandora’s box filled with so much hatred and ignorance. But I too have faith and, as I look at the faces of my two little grandsons, I have to hope that you and I are right.