October 9, 2016, Chula Vista-
I did a few errands and cleared out the trash and recyclables, this morning. The rest of the day revolved around binge-watching of the TV show, “Supernatural”, a throwback to the mid- 2000’s and some reading, of some Baha’i documents and a couple more chapters of “To Kill A Mockingbird”, my early Fall re-read.
I am not watching this evening’s debate. The guys are both on a group video game, and that makes for enough noise. I am fully aware, courtesy of Sirius XM, of the controversy about DJT’s vulgarities- which makes him about 1 1/2 degrees lower than a certain former President of recent vintage. I am also aware that there are all kinds of accusations about how American women love to read about crassness and sexual proclivities- “except when it involves political conservatives.”
There is way too much fear going around, and it will likely lead people, on both ends of the political spectrum, to make bad choices. The fact is, no one person is going to do much of anything to derail our Constitutional way of governance. If Congress is hog-tied, even a short-handed Supreme Court is going to step up- and we, the people, have ways- peaceful ways, mind you- of curbing executive excess. Lyndon Johnson knew this, and pulled out of a re-election battle, in January, 1968. Richard Nixon grudgingly accepted it, in August, 1974.
Fear is a healthy emotion, when it causes a person to pause, and take the measure of a situation, rather than engage in mindless cliff-jumping. It is unhealthy, when it leads to paralysis and circular firing squads, such as we are seeing on one side of the political divide, and may see across the board, yet.
I have only one thing to say, regarding vulgar treatment of others: Two wrongs, or twenty, do not make a right.