Saturday, November 16, 2013

The Fortunate Flush--Don't Laugh

When I wax critical of our nation there are times I must step back from my myopic tendency to see life here through sometimes a too critical lens.

No, I am not becoming "conservative" as I get older but simply appreciative and thankful for the things that I do have instead of concentrating on things I don't. I do try at times to see the proverbial glass half full instead of the needle on empty. Maybe it is that Thanksgiving time of the year that causes this reflection.

Each day I begin my day with a perusal of the news. I then think I cannot write anymore because I am so tired of the controversy, discord, anger and fractures in our national discourse that my thoughts on what to say next freeze as I bathe in incredulity. I loathe the injustice inherent in the extremist right, their lack of compassion, and, if they should gain ultimate power, the possible erasure of all those things achieved by man because of rational thought and science creating a better life for so many. More than that I fear those reactionary forces working against what has been a slow hard slog by man over thousands of years to attain a scientifically correct and culturally humane understanding of life.

Another thing I do upon arising are the usual things humans do to maintain health. I will not enumerate. I read a report on the NBC News site that unequivocally proves some of us on the planet are surely luckier than others perhaps even luckier than most but we often do not realize it. It is merely a fact. We simply are lucky through an accident of birth and it involves the fortunate flush.

Next time I want to throw my hands up in utter disgust because of those forces that imbue unjust ethnic hatreds and inhumane creeds in this country, I think upon those things in this story linked here or below which make us a very fortunate people indeed. Remember, I said in the title of my opinion, "don't laugh" because in reality the issue is deadly serious!


http://www.nbcnews.com/business/no-joke-lack-toilets-signals-deadly-crisis-2D11603662

Democratic Presidential Convention--On to November

  I watched the Democratic convention last evening until my body's demand for sleep overtook me around midnight.  Having followed thin...