Poetry in the Park

I went to the park today. I went today of all days; June 20 in Phoenix when the forecast predicted a 120 degree day. I only stayed for about 20 minutes and sweat through my t-shirt. I talked to my new friend, James. He’s so interesting. We talked about books, one of my favorite subjects. He is fun and intelligent. He is a poet. He is an addict. He is homeless. James and the eight other people and the dog in the small park are homeless. They needed a little extra help today, so I contributed ever so slightly.

I bought several cases of water and a few bunches of bananas and hit the road to downtown Phoenix this morning. On my way to the park, I was fortunate enough to meet several gentle souls that needed a bite to eat and some cool water. When I got out of my car at the park, not a soul stirred. I surveyed my surroundings, I saw dirty and exhausted bodies sleeping on the grass under the small trees. I wasn’t afraid; neither were they. We’re the same; just people on a miserably hot day. I spent the next ten minutes distributing water and bananas; the man with the dog came first. He had nothing to eat or drink yet his dog’s bowl was full of water, placed next to her full bowl of dog food. Her name is Sally the Dog.

Then I met James. He was boisterous and outgoing. He pointed to a young man who was lying on the pavement under an awning. As I approached, the man reached out his hand for the water I was carrying. I handed it to him but he was too weak to open the bottle. I opened it and lifted his head to give him a sip. He gulped the whole bottle. When he was finished with his third bottle, he tried to sit up against a tree but just didn’t have the strength. He wasn’t too tired to thank me.

Before I left, I stopped to have a smoke with James. We talked for maybe ten minutes. He had been reading a newspaper. Before I knew it, we were talking about our favorite authors. We share a love of Oscar Wilde. We hugged and said goodbye, not knowing if we’ll ever see each other again.

Walking back to my car, I was starting to feel the pain of wearing some old flip-flops for the first time in years. I was sweating, thirsty, and didn’t feel very well. So was James.

I drove home in my air-conditioned car. Tonight I stopped at a sub shop to get my favorite sandwich. I soaked my blistered feet and changed my shoes. Now, I’m in my cool home with a full belly and my feet up. I may walk to the kitchen for a snack and another cold drink while I watch t.v. My dogs are sleeping, one on my bed, and one on hers. Sally doesn’t have a bed, neither does James.

It’s after eight o’clock at night and still 115 degrees. If you’re inside and have enough water, think about James and his friends. If you’re not too embarrassed to look someone in the eye when she offers you a cold drink, think about James. If your dog is safe tonight, think about Sally. If you’re fortunate enough to have the strength to sit upright, think about James. If you’re privileged enough to have something tangible, anything to call your own, think of James. When you’re done thinking, help.

The Blue Collar Woman

Going to Work in Trump's America

I have a friend who works in a place that is the epitome of the “Good Ol’ Boys Club.” I worked there once; was it yesterday or a lifetime ago? My friend, let’s call her Chica Sullivan, is an aware, intelligent, hard-working fireball. She works in a male dominated, prejudicial, blue collar environment with the most diverse group of people I have ever seen in one workplace. Although men and women, young and old, gay and straight people from all over the globe work and coexist together, the management and, more importantly, the breakrooms are dominated by white, hetero, Christian, male ideals and attitudes. That is not to say that all members of that group are as intolerable as this group, but the ones who were prone to ignorant and misogynistic behavior have been given license to exacerbate their cowardly and testosterone influenced behavior.

Chica has worked in this environment for many years. So did I. She has my most heartfelt empathy as she is not the type of person who can “get over it” when she hears her coworkers advocating bigotry and chauvinism. Why, you ask? Because she is a logical human being who cares about her fellow man. Oh she’s no saint, who among us is? I would never, ever recommend pissing off this woman. Like me, she becomes irate when a group of white guys, (and yes, they are most vocal when in a group, as are all little boys) excuses and even applauds the racist rants of our new POTUS. I know exactly who these boys are. One used to look forward to December 7 as he saw it as “Hate a Jap” day. Another, probably who thinks that the protests are about losing an election, is likely the most vocal supporter of the “You lost, get over it” movement. Oh yeah, he’s the one who still waves the Confederate flag. Another, who enjoys texting dirty jokes to the women, has blamed President Obama for everything that has happened on earth in the past eight years. It’s raining? “Thanks, Obama.” He is also the kind of guy that has to constantly reiterate how much he respects women and tells you how many black friends he has in order to dissuade us of the more clever sect from believing he is a racist. Ps, you haven’t fooled anyone.

Chica works with and endures the ceaseless whining of these little boys but she also works with men and women. One man, perhaps the most respected in the place and also an immigrant, was wise enough to prefer that his crew was made up entirely of women. He told me women worked harder and smarter. It has been my experience in that particular place of work that he is correct.

Then we have the plain old bullies. The ones who, when among their similarly immature and ignorant peers, make fun of one’s religious beliefs, personal appearance, and believe it or not, their intellect. Yes, these boys (and some little girls) love to use the word “retard.” If someone doesn’t believe in the same manner as they do, he is a retard. If something is not popular or stylish, it is gay. Yes, these are supposed adults who say these things. And Chica, who has the intellect and courage to speak openly and honestly, fights them in groups. When I worked there, I used to tell myself, often one hundred times or more each day, that “Arguing with a fool only proves that there are two.” (Mark Twain) It is hard. The mental agony a sane, intelligent, non-prejudiced adult faces in that place is far more demanding than any physical requirement needed. And Chica can do the physical. While these boys complain about their work load (not all of them), Chica performed a very physically demanding job while carrying a healthy baby. And I mean her own child, not like when she figuratively carries the baby boys with whom she works.

Now, there are many, many good men, real men who work with Chica. They come from all backgrounds and various levels of education and somehow are all able to comprehend that people are people. Some of the biggest and strongest boys are the laziest, whiniest, most unintelligent, insecure little babies I have ever known. They love to gossip and hold the belief that the rules do not apply to them. And since the election of their new Grand Wizard, their sense of entitlement, which was present since birth, has shot through the roof.

Chica, I can’t begin to tell you the level of respect I have for you in standing strong and being brave. I want you to know a few things: 1) You are not alone in your frustration; 2) These are culturally biased boys with whom you are dealing; 3) Somewhere in their emotional and intellectual development they were stunted and therefore remain extremely insecure and are afraid of change; 4) Insecure people (and Fascists) constantly seek out the inferior other so as to distract themselves and others from their shortcomings. Most importantly please remember this; gorillas in the zoo go insane because they are too intelligent for their environment. Keep up the fight, I got your back. Peace.

Wannsee and Trump: The Eerie Coincidence of January 20

How Will History Treat This Day in 2092?

January 20 is now and will in the future a pivotal day marked by historians. In 2017, this date marks the inauguration of Donald Trump as the President of the United States. As he puts his small hand on the Bible (perhaps causing a fire to erupt) I will be philosophizing about an event that, coincidentally, took places seventy-five years prior; the Wannsee Conference.

In the Berlin suburb of Wannsee, on January 20, 1942, Reinhard Heydrich presided over a conference of Nazi leaders to solidify their plans to deal with the “Jewish Question.” Rounding up and murdering Jews, gypsies, political enemies, and any others who were not deemed worthy of life under the Third Reich had gone on for many years; therefore, the Wannsee meeting was not the event that determined the fate of European Jews. Rather, it was the convergence of men who adopted plans to expedite the liquidation process of the Final Solution.

Heydrich, so-called by the Slavic People as the “Butcher of Prague,” chaired the meeting that decreed, “Approximately 11 million Jews will be involved in the final solution of the European Jewish question.”  Briefly, the plan implemented to answer the Jewish Question was as follows:

“Under proper guidance, in the course of the final solution the Jews are to be allocated for appropriate labor in the East. Able-bodied Jews, separated according to sex, will be taken in large work columns to these areas for work on roads, in the course of which action doubtless a large portion will be eliminated by natural causes. The possible final remnant will, since it will undoubtedly consist of the most resistant portion, have to be treated accordingly, because it is the product of natural selection and would, if released, act as a the seed of a new Jewish revival (see the experience of history.)”[1]

Determining who was a Jew fell to the application of the Nuremburg Laws. If you’ve listened to Donald Trump discuss his theory on genetics, you’re already a step ahead in understanding these laws. You see, Nazi’s didn’t care about the religious aspect of being Jewish, they were concerned with genetic Jews; genetic Jews are Semites and Semites are desert people of Middle Eastern origin, thus Arabic peoples are also Semites and face anti-Semitism. That phrase, however, which arose in 19^th century Germany as a way to describe discrimination against secular Jews, is considered to denote anti-Jewish racism. But let’s look at it in a literal sense; Jews and Arabs are both Semites; therefore, a hatred toward either group can logically be considered anti-Semitism. Is this eerie coincidence of January 20 starting to make more sense?

Seventy-five years to the day after the most heinous crimes against humanity of the 20^th century, arguably of all time, were solidified, Donald Trump, who is in all likelihood the most anti-Semitic P(e)O(t u) S in recent memory, will swear to God and country to Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States of America. The irony of this is not lost on me nor should it be on you. I am a historian and since the minute Donald opened his mouth in the primaries, I have been frightened. A weary nation recovering from financial hardship, unemployment, and ongoing war was searching for a charismatic leader who promised us everything we wanted. Well, as long as you are a heterosexual, white, Christian, male. Government institutions had seemingly failed us and we were being overrun by those damn foreigners. We needed room to spread out and live (Hitler called this Lebensraum), we needed to get rid of the damned Socialists, stop the queers and their warped agenda, lock up our political enemies, keep women barefoot and pregnant, and silence those no-good, smart-ass intellectuals. It worked for Hitler….and Mussolini. 

The Nazi Party was legally elected into office, perhaps that is the one area in which Trump and the Nazis differ. Once people’s lives started to improve financial under the new regime, people closed their eyes to the atrocities that were occurring right under their very noses. We can’t do this. As human beings we must not allow this to happen.

So, whether you watch, attend, or protest the inauguration ceremony, remember that on the very same day in 1942, wheels were also in motion for the Final Solution. Think of one of the millions of people who were tortured and murdered simply because of their ethnicity. Whatever you do on the 20^th as far as the inauguration is concerned, don’t ignore the significance of the day or the irony of the symbolism. You never know who will be next.

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[1] http://holocaust.umd.umich.edu/news/uploads/WanseeProtocols.pdf

American Crisis

“When Fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag.”

I am devastated. I blame myself. I blame myself because I naively believed my country would openly denounce misogyny, racism, sexism, Islamophobia, homophobia, xenophobia, and all phobias and prejudices that have been unleashed by this man. I had faith in my fellow countrymen to protect the rights of women. I am well-aware that not everyone who voted for this man is a racist or sexist, or any other “ist” you can think of; however, the fact that so much hatred has emerged as a direct result of this man’s words is frightening.

As a historian, I can tell you without hesitation that this is how the most horrifying events in history unfold. This is textbook Fascism and because of this election, world history will be forever altered. To the people who clamored for change, be careful what you wish for. Change means something different from what you have. What we have right now is: a woman’s right to choose what happens to and with her own body; a flawed but functioning medical insurance system; marriage equality; a growing economy; and tenable international relationships. What we have is far from perfect but it is progress. Why erase progress to revert to systems and ideologies that were in place during the Eisenhower Era? I’ll tell you why, Fascism has come to America.

The most fundamental tenet of Fascist ideology is to return to a mythological, utopian past; in other words, “Make the Country Great Again.” Mussolini and Hitler both espoused this principal. Mussolini wanted to protect the men who fought in WWI for Italy as they were the “forgotten men.” These two dictators, and Stalin, immediately incarcerated or exiled all of their political opponents once they gained power; they simply “Locked Them Up.” Once their political rivals were erased, intellectuals and artists were the next to be removed so as not to enlighten others to the dangers at hand, they wanted “leaders not readers.” In Fascist Germany, homosexuals were targeted under Paragraph 175 as they were seen as being genetically undesirable and a detriment to a pure society. They were experimented on as a form of “conversion therapy.” Germany and Russia made a pact to facilitate the invasion of Poland without sanction, there was “no consequence faced by Russia for the hostile invasion of a neighboring country.” Specific ethnic and religious groups were targeted and war and genocide ensued. That war did begin to unify the United States and end the worst financial depression in history; one that started when millionaire businessman Herbert Hoover was the president. Do I need to say more???

I am stunned that I am watching history repeat itself before my very eyes. I am appalled that people actually believe that Donald cares about the middle class and veterans; he’s never been either. I asked some friends to describe how they felt this morning; panicked, incapacitated, and exhausted were some replies. One wise friend said, “Hope, because That Is All We Have.” The only hope I have left is that good people will educate themselves and inspire others to do the same. I recommend the following books to start:

Roger Eatwell, Fascism: A History (New York: Penguin, 1995).

Roger Griffin, ed. Fascism (repr. 2009, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995).

Samuel Totten and William S. Parsons, eds. Centuries of Genocide: Essays and Eyewitness Accounts, 4^th ed. (New York: Routledge, 2013).

Good luck, friends.

Campaign 2016: Here Comes the Betrayal

I hope this is something we can all remember as this disappointing election season nears its welcome end. It is what we all do on November 9 that matters the most. Read on.

Ever been betrayed? I have and quite frankly, it sucks. Betrayal, in its true definition, can only be inflicted by a person who has been given our trust.[1] You cannot be betrayed by one of whom you expect nothing. Of a friend or family member, for example, your relationship is built on trust and respect; unfortunately that is all too often one-sided. As empathetic humans, we tend to project our feelings onto others. If we care for a person, we expect the same depth of affection from that person. All too often, the loyalty we feel towards our friends and family is not reciprocated and we become the victims of betrayal. To sum it up, it happens when you care more than the other person. When you project your feelings of unflinching loyalty onto another and that person has no such depth of allegiance, you can be betrayed. I’m not saying the betrayer is an evil person, they just don’t care as much as you.

Now, let’s talk about how much that hurts. You, on a daily basis, sink your heart and soul into a friendship only to be shown by another’s actions that it just doesn’t matter. Ouch, that stings. Your heart is tattered, your mind races, you deal with pain, anger, and ultimately forgiveness. Then, you start to question everything and everyone in your life. Perhaps, you build walls so as never to feel that most devastating pain again. Don’t do that! Trust again, open your heart and mind, forgive and mend relationships; however, do not ever, ever forget. Apologies, real apologies, must be accepted but do not be so naïve as to trust your betrayer again. Nothing will ever be the same. Your goodness; however, must prevail. I want everyone to remember this as we near the end of this disappointing election campaign.

I believe we are all of the depth of wisdom necessary to understand campaign promises, regardless of your political affiliations. They are the party’s platform and the hopes of the candidate. More importantly, they are made to garner a vote. The candidate may have some very good intentions but making a promise come to fruition in the lobbyist controlled congress is a difficult task indeed. As politically aware members of society, we know what politicians say and what actually happens are often very different, yet we somehow throw our whole hearts and souls behind a candidate and put our trust in those promises. We want so badly for the candidates to believe as we do, that our word is our bond, that we project our ethics and morals onto them. We believe they care as much as we care. This sets us up to be destroyed by betrayal.

As with a friend, we can be betrayed by our potential leaders. Does anyone believe that both candidates are capable of keeping their promises? Or that the loser will accept defeat with humility and grace so as not to embarrass our nation? We want to, boy do we want to, and that is how we will be hurt. That day will come and when it does, we need to react as we would with any other betrayal; we lean on our friends. Yes, we will need to lean on each other across the aisle. We complain that politicians do not engage in bipartisan politics yet it is clear, now more than ever, that we are in great danger of becoming a house divided and we must not let that happen. We, the people, are capable of reaching out to each other, of “binding our nation’s wounds,” and supporting one another when we do feel that betrayal. We must not lash out at one another, no matter who we vote for. Hillary supporters hate Trump supporters and vice versa. Hatred will not treat a betrayal. Only friendship, true, honest, compassionate, and loyal friendship can do that.

I don’t limit my calls for friendship to solely the United States. We are one world. You get that? There is one, and only one planet Earth and we are here together. We can either help or harm each other, the choice is ours. When we are betrayed by our leaders, we have each other if we will only reach out with compassion and open-mindedness. Who here has not been betrayed? If you raised your hand, consider yourself extraordinarily lucky as it is the most painful experience you will endure. For those of us who have, we know the emotional and psychological devastation that must be suffered and surmounted. How do we overcome that hurt? With a little help from our friends. Maybe I’m sounding a little hippie-ish, but you know what, maybe that’s not so bad. Maybe we can start today with baby steps and look to our loyal friends to do the same. Perhaps we can reach out to one, just one person, who is on the other side of the aisle, and just let that person know that you’ll suffer the inevitable betrayal with her as a fellow countryman and human being. One person. Is that so hard?

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[1]“Betray: Be gravely disloyal to.” Per the Oxford English dictionary.

He Has Baffled Me Once Again

Once again I must humbly defer to those of far greater intelligence than I.  Along with the rest of the world, I have been scrutinizing the disgusting Trump remarks that were released on Friday. (October 7, 2016) I have read newspapers, blogs, comments, and Tweets that overwhelmingly denounce Donald yet have read many that inexplicably defend and support the “locker room talk,” position. Further, I heard Donald say at the debate, when asked pointedly by Anderson Cooper if he ever did those things to unsuspecting women, that he did not and they were “just words.” He claimed these words do not define him. Words are the manifestation of thoughts. He, therefore, tacitly stated that he thought about doing those things, right? So, if he just thought (doubtful) about doing those things and they were “just words” objectifying and degrading women, how did he know they would “let him do it?” You see this is where I need help.

“I’ve got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her,” “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.”

“And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”

 “Grab them by the p---y. You can do anything.”

           

            Ok, the highlighted lines are the source of my confusion. At the debate, Donald claimed that these were just words and denied acting out these vulgar assaults. My question is this, how does he know women will “let you do it,” unless he has done it? How does he know “You can do anything,” without having done these things? Let me juxtapose some words and you’ll understand my confusion:

(I use the example of a dog to coincide with Donald’s opinion of women)

“And when my dog rolls on her back, she lets me do it. I can rub her belly. I can do anything.”

I can make this assertion because I have done this with my 75 pound dog. I am not concerned that I will be attacked or rejected. Why? Because I am speaking from experience. How, then does Donald know that he can do these things if he is not speaking from experience? That’s really what I hope someone can explain to me. In my average mind, I can only conclude that he is either an insecure liar desperate to assert his manliness or he is a sex offender. I am open to all interpretations.

Next, I really need help making sense of this:

           

  A)Good people don’t go into government 

  B) Donald Trump went into government

  C) Donald Trump is not a good person.

As that is the only logical conclusion to be drawn, is Donald admitting he is the opposite of a good person? Is he defining himself with his the word "bad?"

Any and all respectful and thoughtful comments are welcome and encouraged.

            

Colin Kaepernick vs. Stephen Hawking

   

        I used Colin Kaepernick’s name in my title to get your attention. This blog is really about our priorities. Mr. Kaepernick opted not to stand for the playing of the national anthem and made his feelings known as to why. He throws a ball for a living and the media is hanging on his every word; because they have an audience that seems to be enthralled by this story. I’ll admit, it’s entertaining and is a new portal to the ongoing conversation about racism and violence in this country.

            Dr. Stephen Hawking is subjectively considered to be one of the smartest human beings alive. He is a theoretical physicist who studied at Cambridge and Oxford. He continues to battle a debilitating disease that, by all accounts, should have killed him years ago. He is perhaps the most respected scientist in the world. As a multi-million selling author of scientific texts, he has explained the theory of time, black holes, and the potential origins of the universe to fellow academics and the average citizen alike.

            On May 30, 2016, Professor Hawking gave a talk in which he called Donald Trump a demagogue. Further, in that discussion he warned, “A more immediate danger is runaway climate change,” and continued by saying, “A rise in ocean temperature would melt the ice-caps, and cause a release of large amounts of carbon dioxide from the ocean floor. Both effects could make our climate like that of Venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees.”

Did you hear about this on the news? It’s not very entertaining, is it? It was not widely covered because the media outlets do not have a big enough audience for this discourse; you know, something as insignificant as the destruction of our planet.

            Instead of concerning ourselves with the scientific studies and opinions of one of the greatest minds of our generation, we focus on the words and actions of a man who throws a ball for a living. Mr. Kaepernick may very well be an intelligent man. I know nothing of his education other than he was awarded a BA in business management from the University of Nevada, which he attended on a football scholarship. Many great intellects have never attended a single day of college and I am not putting into question his intelligence. I don’t know much about him other than his football talents, of which he has many and is truly gifted. What I do know is that he makes his living on the field with those talents and off the field by his endorsement and merchandising contracts. He is what we, as a society, seem to consider a role model for youngsters, a talented athlete who is entertaining to watch, and now someone we want to mock and degrade simply for standing (well…excuse the pun) for a principle. I personally respect any person’s right to express their opinions, whether I agree or disagree. If one is truly patriotic, that must be his opinion as well; a true “patriot” must respect the First Amendment.

            With all of that being said, here is the crux of the problem: The most brilliant man in the world told us our planet is doomed unless we make significant changes quickly. Three months later, an athlete refused to stand for the national anthem, a right afforded him by the U.S. Constitution. Why are we expending so much energy debating the actions of an entertainer while ignoring the warnings of a genius? Dr. Hawking sits all of the time; he has no choice.