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What next?

I keep thinking that the situation here in the United States can’t get worse–and then it does. I honestly don’t know what to expect next.

And I find myself continually wondering what our future holds.

When I hear comments from administration officials like this:

  • “…married women who have changed their name, if they’ve already registered to vote, they’re entirely unaffected by the SAVE Act. For the small fraction of individuals who have changed their name or their address, they can still register to vote, of course. They just have to go through their state processes to update that documentation.” – Karoline Leavitt

    But, according to Leavitt, married women are “entirely unaffected” – except they have to get the documentation required, which includes original birth certificates, passport, divorce decree–which many women do not have or may not be able to get…not to mention the cost and time for getting them. And–men don’t have to do this.

  • “The only thing prohibiting transit in the straits [of Hormuz] right now is Iran shooting at shipping. It is open for transit should Iran not do that.” – Pete Hegseth

    Right–so Iran is shooting at any ships trying to go through the Strait of Hormuz because of a war (pardon me–an “excursion”–that we started), but the Strait is actually open. Right…

Can they–or their supporters–not hear the contradictions? It’s like the old joke: “Aside from that, Mr. Lincoln, how did you like the play?”

And I wonder what comes next when half the country isn’t living in the same reality as the other half. What happens when we can all watch something happening live on TV–but when it is referenced later, half the country calls it a lie or complains that it’s taken out of context? What happens when someone can quote a statement made by the president or a member of his cabinet, and his supporters again claim that it’s a lie? Or when a statement is taken from an official governmental website–and again called a lie?

What happens when those in power protect individuals accused of heinous crimes? or are guilty of those crimes themselves? What happens to the rule of law then? Is there one law for the wealthy and those connected to the powerful…and another law for the rest of us? What happens to the possibility of justice for the victims?

What happens when one religion is weaponized against other faith understandings? When it becomes not only personal belief but also the foundation of government policy? What happens when faiths are called blasphemous?

What happens when we can’t agree on what “truth” is? What happens when government officials lie regularly? and when they are caught in those lies, immediately turn to gaslighting the rest of us?

What happens when science becomes political? when long-standing and safe medical procedures and medicines based on scientific research become pawns to politics?

What happens when history is whitewashed–and the contributions of women, people of color, immigrants are removed and ignored? What happens when history becomes seen only as the story of wealthy white men?

What happens when LGBTQ+ individuals are denied necessary medical care? When they are erased from legal existence?

And what happens if (and hopefully when) this current administration is removed from office? What happens then?

The groundwork is already being laid to claim that any election that doesn’t return the president to office (even though the Constitution says “no”) is illegal and illegitimate. If half the country accepts the election results, but the other half doesn’t? Then what?

We are beyond simply disagreeing on policies…or how to put them into action. What we disagree with each other now is more fundamental. It is a disagreement over the foundation we build on…disagreement on how we see those who are “other”…disagreement on issues of morality and respect for each other and for our environment.

Can we come back together as one “United” States? Or will we split into two different countries? And if that happens, will the split be civil? or violent?

I honestly don’t know what comes next.

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War is not a game

I enjoy games as much as anyone, although I’m not particularly into role-playing games or violent video games. But games of strategy? Yes, I do enjoy them–sometimes managing to win handily. Over the years I’ve enjoyed games like chess, Stratego, and Risk–games of conquest and strategy.

I’ve been thinking about this the last couple of weeks, especially as I’ve seen how this administration is treating the broadening war with Iran. The lack of foresight…the casual shrugging off of casualties…the almost giddy delight over the destruction of Iranian infrastructure and leadership…and especially the way in which video of reality has been interspersed with video from games such as “Call of Duty,” “Mortal Kombat” and movies like “Top Gun” and “Braveheart”…along with footage of images of explosions with captions calling for more violence, more destruction…

I find all of that appalling.

War is NOT a game.

Real people are dying. And yet this administration shrugs that off as “just something that happens.”

We have already seen the deaths of over 150 innocent girls in their classroom. While it’s not positive yet that their deaths were a result of U.S bombing, evidence is clearly pointing that way. But instead of taking responsibility…instead of acknowledging the tragedy if it was accidental…instead of mourning with parents dealing with this kind of devastating loss…the administration is focused on pointing elsewhere for responsibility…and shrugging off the comments of a conservative lobbyist (Matt Schlapp) whose ignorance of the country showed when he said that the girls are better off dead than living “…in a barbaric, unequal society behind a burqa.”

Seven American service members have died at this point…and the administration is now floating the idea of sending in troops on the ground, placing more in danger in a war that did not have to happen.

I repeat, War is NOT a game!

And casually starting a war without any planning…without any discussion with allies…without any thought of how it will end…without the approval of Congress…is not leadership. It is not the children of those who make those decisions who will be put in harm’s way–although if they were, perhaps leaders would make different decisions.

WAR is not a game…war is NOT a game…war is not a GAME.

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FDR Memorial Wall
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When did we lose our way so badly?

I have started and deleted so many posts this week…trying to figure out and then articulate my feelings. There are so many; it’s hard to figure them all out.

I think the two primary ones are anger and heartbreak.

America has never been perfect. We are a nation birthed in violence and we have never created a different foundation. Instead, we have frequently tried to pretend that wasn’t really true. We have whitewashed our history, ignoring evidence that should have called us to accountability.

But even with all that, there have been voices that have challenged us to be better, to do better. Some of those voices came from indigenous peoples–the first peoples on this land. Some of those voices came from individuals brought here by force–stripped of their heritage…renamed in violence. Some of those voices came from immigrants who came by choice, seeking a better future for their children and grandchildren.

The hopes of and for this country became caught up in a poem written by Emma Lazarus, written to help raise money for the Statue of Liberty.

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The poem–and the statue it celebrated–was a statement of welcome…of hope. It was an acknowledgement of the giftedness diversity brought to this nation.

But now? We have lost our way…badly.

We have become a nation that refuses entry to those “yearning to breathe free.” We are no longer “Mother of Exiles”…instead we have demonized them…separated them from families…sent them to countries they fled or have never lived in.

We have become a nation where money talks…loudly.

We have become a nation whose “leader” believes he can do anything he wants to…where “might makes right.”

We have become a nation where politicians loudly proclaim “family values” and that we are a “Christian nation”…while children who have been abused by pedophiles in power still wait for justice…while the policies and actions put into place are diametrically opposed to the words and actions of Jesus.

We have become a nation that casually attacks other nations…shrugging off the deaths of innocents.

When did we lose our way so badly? And can we change direction? Do we want to change direction? Or is it too late?

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War…in Jesus’ name?!? Hell no!

I can remember reading about the Crusades when I was growing up–at least a little bit. The story was always phrased as a “holy” war, designed to “take back” the Holy Land from the “infidel” and return it to the Christians…the “true” stewards / owners of the land.

Yeah…right.

There was never any nuance presented…no acknowledgement of the rights of those individuals who had lived there for generations. And the brutalities of the Crusaders were glossed over as just being something that happened in times of war.

The Crusades were “might makes right”–and anything other than Christianity was wrong. Of course, that Christianity was always paired with empire–and so, the empire was also always right.

It may be the 21st century, but it feels a lot like we’re still living in the Crusader mentality.

According to a number of news stories today, multiple command units were told that the attack on Iran was a “holy war”…part of “God’s divine plan.” One NCO indicated that they were told “President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.”

Those reports are still being investigated–but even the thought that anyone believes that to be true is absolute blasphemy!

To proclaim war in the name of the One known as the Prince of Peace…that is a perversion of Christianity.

And the innocents and the vulnerable that Jesus spent time with…they are the ones who will suffer. They are the ones who will be the “collateral damage.”

What we are seeing and experiencing in our world in the name of Jesus…Jesus weeps.

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This is where I stand…

I’m going to be very blunt and clear about where I stand currently.

I have friends and family who range widely on almost every spectrum you can think of—especially political and religious. For the last several years, I have tried to be one of those individuals standing in the gap, trying to build bridges of understanding and connection. I haven’t always succeeded, but I have tried.

However, I have reached the point where I can no longer do that.

I am still willing to have conversations on trying to find ways to fix our broken systems—and we do have a number of broken systems within our government.

But if you…

  • Continue to condone statements and policies that demonize those who are vulnerable…
  • Make comments of false equivalence between previous Democratic administrations and the actions of the current GOP administration…
  • Support the brutal separation of migrant families without notifying their legal representatives…
  • Condone the actions of ICE, including their refusal to wear identifying uniforms, their picking up immigrants who are attending previously scheduled legal hearings, their blatant cruelty and violence towards those who are watching and supporting their tactics…
  • Support the removal of food and health benefits from thousands of people, many of them children…
  • Refuse to speak out when the words of Jesus are twisted to condemn others…
  • Agree that women should not have autonomy over their own bodies…
  • Refuse to listen to the stories and concerns of people of color…
  • Do not demand the release of all of the Epstein files so that the children who were victimized can receive justice…
  • Believe that members of the LGBTQ+ communities should be erased from legal existence…

then you and I no longer live in the same reality—and we no longer have anything significant in common.

I have too many friends and family members who are terrified for their lives right now because of your actions—and your silence. I will speak out for those who are afraid to speak—and I will call out your complicity in creating and supporting this environment.

The America I believe in is better than this. The America I believe in—while always imperfect—still has the possibility of becoming.

If you want to join me in making that so, then you are welcome. We may disagree on the “how”—but if you are willing to see “the other” (whoever they are) as a human being worthy of being treated with dignity and respect, then welcome.

Otherwise, I don’t know that we have anything more to say to each other.