America

Everybody

A year ago

my second toe,

and first,

and third,

required

corrective

surgery.

Recovery

would be

slow

to show,

but now

the issue

is scar

tissue.

Meanwhile,

a terribly

difficult

infection

causing

inflammation

in a finger

to throb

and linger

has meant

that treatment

for another

ailment

is contingent

upon

what’s going

on

elsewhere.

And now

my problematic

hips and hamstrings,

additional

chronic

disablings,

can no longer

be ignored.

For all my

recovery talk,

one year later,

I can barely

walk;

an issue,

like my first toe,

started aching

decades ago.

I confess

my anatomical

mess,

less 

to complain

than to sustain

attention

on our duties

civic

to impact

our pathetic

body politic.

See what

I did there?

Compare

my shoddy

body

(and the ailments

I mention,

like 

you may

have,

are only some)

with the problem

of our politics.

As you 

well know,

pain sticks

when what

needs to be

fixed

isn’t.

Like 

an autoimmune

condition,

fighting

itself

into 

submission,

we’re in

a prolonged

flare.

There are

remedies

for various

maladies,

but much

effort

is required.

Mired

in pain

and war

is sure

to make

recovery

slow going.

But knowing

we still

have capacity

and muscle

memory

for democracy,

means

exercising

appropriately,

regularly.

Offerings

like 

No Kings

rallies

may seem

useless

against

our maladies,

but I believe

participation

is the medication

needed.

Support

candidates

beyond

your community

in order to 

strengthen

congressional

immunity

against

the MAGA

virus

inundating

us.

Donate,

show up,

email,

call….

do it all!

The process

of healing

requires

dealing

with building

strength;

a process

of length

and endeavor.

Nothing’s

forever,

but our injuries

may need

surgeries,

and certainly

therapies,

in order 

to facilitate

recovery.

Ultimately,

it’s up

to us

to do 

more 

than discuss

our disgust.

Democracy

is of,

by,

and for,

and therefore

requires

everybody.

Miracle on ICE?

To address

the state

of the union

is to confess

….

wait…

nevermind….

is to profess

success

and redress

how to oppress

and exacerbate

a mess

unnecessarily

created.

Ever the ham

in front of

a cam

who will

hock

anything

he can,

and lie,

deny,

defy,

well,

you know

the guy.

He always

skates by,

and continues

to fly 

by the seat

of his

ginormous pants.

As we’re

whacked

around

with such

incredible speed,

indeed

the analogy

for this

current

pathology

is,

appropriately,

Ice Hockey.

The irony

(or maybe

not)

is the import

of the sport

in The Olympics.

It once 

defined

our win

against

The Soviet

Union

and Communism,

and this year,

both men

and women

brought home

the gold

for US.

Dominating

the ice

(wouldn’t

that

be nice!),

with speed

and tenacity

to upend

the capacity

of the opposition,

is always

the goal.

And whose

soul

has been sold

when Kash

Patel

will tell

the media

that his trip

to the Olympics

was indeed a

part of his

job description?

The Women’s

US Hockey

Team

politely

declined

the invitation

for the State

of the Union

speechification,

while the Men’s

Team 

was awarded

the Medal

of Freedom.

Are athletics

the metrics

of freedom?

(Not for women!)

And FYI,

Trump didn’t 

deny

as he joked,

that if he didn’t

invite the women’s

team,

which also beat

Team Canada

in overtime

for gold,

“I do believe

I probably

would be 

impeached.”

Oh,

the heights

we’ve reached

in our current

state

of the union.

Winter Games

Everything 

I see

lately

is curling-

in the Olympics

and in politics.

Meddling

at home

without

much medaling

in Italy

yet,

from the outset,

has been

great upset.

Booing Vance

in advance

of the games

brought me

no pride.

Inside

I cringed

at how fringed

our stature

is

on the world

stage.

The rage

against

Trump

is

justified,

as the 

slide

to authoritarianism

can not

be denied,

but mostly,

I felt sad.

And then

the great

losses

early on

by the bosses

of skating

and skiing,

felt metaphoric.

This season

of ICE,

the most

chilling

in memory,

could be

an opportunity.

But not 

yet.

Shutting down

Homeland Security

even partially,

may be

a Hail

Mary,

but it feels

like a lose-

lose.

And gutting

the EPA

and throwing

away

environmental

progress,

much less

democratic

process,

make today,

Presidents Day,

nothing more

than a day

to buy

a mattress.

If you’re feeling

powerless,

know that

you are not.

Politics,

unlike

The Olympics,

is not

a spectator

sport.

The dual

crises,

existential,

democracy

and environmental,

require your

participation.

Sure,

bring your bags

to the grocery

store,

but before 

you do,

take a few

moments

(literally, a few!!)

to take

actions:

Home
Dashboard for Democracy

Use the tools

of democracy

to save democracy

and the climate

crises.

Already crafted

emails

and petitions,

download the apps

for your signature

additions.

I get nothing

out of sharing

here

other than knowing

we are daring 

here

to do democracy

together.

It’s better 

than just watching

the screen

as we careen

off course.

And of course,

share with 

your friends

and family

and your 

networks.

Be a reason

democracy

works.

That’s

how we

win.

More of Us

There are more

of us

than there are

of them.

But their

weapons

are automatic,

and autocratic;

and ours,

democratic,

often socratic,

seem

fantastic-

a legacy

now a 

fantasy-

if you

don’t see

the ordinary.

But we-

the people

whose

DNA
is democracy-

understand

that immorality

is not merely

cheating

and brutality.

It is a cancer

that metastasizes

as it emphasizes

bigotry

and purely

self interest.

More 

is asked

of us

than to

fuss

and bitch

about

this ditch

we’re in.

We’re in

it together.

Whether

you can donate

money,

time,

or influence,

the confluence

will quell

some intransigence.

Pledge

allegiance

to that which

you and I

can do to

defy

and deny

the worst;

but of greater

import,

to support

more

of us:

https://www.standwithminnesota.com/

https://app.oath.vote/set?p=top-issues

Muscle Memory

Another chilling

day of ICE

fishing for 

some more

excuses

for the

inexcusable

abuses

and killing.

The machismo

guys

in disguise

don’t advise;

they terrorize

as paramilitary 

does.

We have 

no memory

of  such

muscle use

or such

an obtuse

administration.

The arrested

development-

an envelopment

of a city-

is exactly

what we thought

we weren’t:

a deterrent

to humanity.

We have

no memory

of muscle;

we have

an American

story

of old

and new

glory,

opening

doors

and arms,

ignoring

the harms

remaining.

The few

bad apples

here

and there

were rare,

so we thought,

and were 

taught

that we’re

the exception.

Except

that now

we accept

how 

we can fall

from heights

previously

unimaginable.

Our muscle

memory

is specified

to what unified

our glory.

What made

us strong

all along

were our

norms

and our

constitution,

and each

institution

that maintained

and expanded

normalcy

for democracy

without

a paramilitary.

Ironically,

(or maybe not)

climbing

free solo,

Alex Honnold,

the 40 year old,

scaled the tallest

skyscraper

yesterday,

Taipei 101-

streamed

live from

Taiwan,

(which still

wants

to be free

and live 

democratically).

Thankfully

his muscle

memory

succeeded

triumphantly

on live tv.

I like the 

metaphor

for climbing

to heights

even when 

it’s dangerous.

It’s incumbent

upon us

to exercise

and strengthen;

to energize

and lengthen

our muscle 

memory

and ability

for democracy,

and of course,

basic 

human

decency.

That’s what

makes

America

great again

and again

and again.

That Much

Learning how much 

is too much

is such 

an opportunity 

for discontinuity,

yet we continually

test

when

what would

obviously

be best 

would be 

much less.

But,

what 

if

there’s more

in store 

than we 

thought

before?

Enough

is a tough

sell.

Or even

tough

to tell.

We don’t

learn well

enough.

Fear

of missing

out,

FOMO,

is about

feeling

relevant

and as 

a participant

in whatever

is current.

It’s like 

living

as each

day

is the last.

Not like

the day

before,

or 

to store

more

for 

what’s ahead,

but 

for the moment

instead.

We want

connection

and protection

from 

loss.

Fear is boss.

Fear

drives

avoidance

and excess

and creates

a mess,

more or less.

It’s purpose,

is survival—

alerting

us to 

the arrival

of actual

threat.

But constant

acquisition

distorts

the position

of threat

to a bet

better met

with restraint.

But that ain’t

what the super-rich

and powerful

do—

especially 

you know

who.

Living exclusively

from 

much

to much

is a crutch.

With so much

winning

why

keep spinning;

missing

it by

that much?

Eyes on the Prize (more tries)

On this MLK

Day,

all I can say

is,

“Oy vey!”

Snubbed

by Norway

(as if they

were the 

Nobel

Committee)

he intensifies

his demand

for Greenland

as he’s denied

the prize

for peace,

saying

he no longer

feels

an “obligation

to think purely

of Peace”.

The increase

in tensions

clarify

his intentions

just from

seeing 

Green.

He’s

envious,

avaricious,

tyranical,

maniacal,

unethical

and none too

intellectual.

The prize

is still 

peace

and 

freedom

from

oppression.

Though you

realize

we must 

never

normalize

his

agression

and self

obsession,

we’re reminded

today

of MLK

and a more

peaceful,

moral,

and hopeful

day

when our

country

tries

to do

better.

Toolbox

Containing.

Constraining.

Obtaining.

Boxing.

Targeting.

Marketing.

The only tool

the fool

has 

is to fuel

fear,

and buy

out

the other

guy

and buy

in

to all

out

crack up.

ICE

picks

at towns

as

crack-

downs

abound

while they

go around

hammering

down

on the innocent,

intent

to invent

probable 

cause

for arrest.

Meanwhile,

he’ll suggest

we “invest”

in 

Greenland,

with the best

minerals

for our

arsenals

and somehow

our oil

on Venezuelan

soil

is worth

the toil

to foil.

Nothing is going

according

to Hoyle.

But this guy

who’s 

“a builder”

will hammer

away

day after day

and drill

baby, drill

until

he thinks

he’s nailed it.

He’s screwing

us

bit by bit

and won’t 

quit

or admit

enough.

Indecent

and cruel

has defined

the tool,

for this

Mr. Fixit.

He alone

wants to

rule

without

adherence,

and cares

not at all

about

actual

governance.

Feeling

boxed in?

Then begin

to activate

and donate

to build

a constituency

with coherency

and fluency

in 21st century

democracy,

which 

must look

differently

than 

in name

only.

Killing Good

ICE fired,

killing  Good;

a chilling

killing,

as she was 

driving forward.

Claiming

self-defense,

denying

evidence,

the Feds

heads

nixed

investigation

with their

fixed

interpretation.

Those present

at the event

who saw 

the incident

witnessed

an agent

fire

not at a

tire,

but directly

at the face

of Good.

Minneapolis

is a city

well acquainted

with authority

killing citizenry

while assuming

immunity.

We thought

we got further

from George

Floyd’s murder

until mere 

blocks away,

where

the other day,

Good

became

the next

victim.

And then

in Oregon,

where Feds

were in

Portand,

agents

shot 

2 people

at a targeted

vehicle

stop.

Once again

a Fed 

lead

with a shot

and then

said

he did not:

he claimed

he’d

have been 

maimed

as he

maintained

they 

were a

serious threat.

They 

may

have survived

but we are

deprived

each time

ICE fires

and conspires

to legitimize

despite

witness eyes.

They are

trying

to terrorize

US.

Why does

an ICE

agent

seeking

an illegal

immigrant

need  to be

armed

like a militant?

It’s no accident

that this

government

sees 

customs

enforcement

as lethal.

It’s unethical, immoral

and 

criminal,

and unmistakable

that they

would

do anything;

even killing

GOOD.

All in the Family

* This piece was written before news of Nick Reiner’s arrest. The title is even more loaded now.

Meathead

is dead.

Found inside

his home

with his wife

alongside,

so far

it seems

a double

homicide.

I nearly cried

because

of the sense-

lessness

of the mess,

not just

because 

he was 

terrifically famous.

You know

Reiner’s 

bio,

though

I thought

there’d be 

more

to come

from 

the actor, 

director,

charitable, 

political

voice

of liberal

democracy

(Democratocracy?).

Just

what happened

has yet

been determined,

but another

moment

of violence

against

innocents

should 

test our

tolerance.

This happens

each day,

to the not

so famous,

without

the same

attention.

Shame 

on us

for acting

helpless;

for not

trying

to prioritize

ways to

minimize

crimes

of violence.

Like an

estranged

family,

we

disagree

grossly,

to such 

a degree

that we

no longer

see

commonality

or humanity.

The Reiners’

political activism

was party

driven

with the intention

of improving

the lives

of each American.

They believed

in an American 

family;

that

ALL

in the family

are worthy.

Our family

needs therapy.

Our family

needs policy

that reflects

reality,

not inspired

by conspiracy

theory.

The irony

is that

MAGA country

is a horrible

Archie,

and the real

Meathead

is the POTUS

instead.