Desidero

Alternative ideas
are healthy food, whether we
accept or reject them. The gut
needs some fiber to scrape along,
something to clear it out.
A diet based on easy-to-digest
pap is simply not healthy.
We need complex foods, we need
complex discourse. Get used to it.
Support it.

People can’t get their heads
around the fact that it’s not
“free speech” if it comes with
repercussions. It makes little
difference whether I thrash
you with my cane or get you
fired or make you pay a load
of money or threaten your
family’s safety – I’m finding
a way to shut your opinion up,
or at least others who might
try to go down that free speech
path.

I got to thinking yesterday that if I did have to submit to a teaching moment, I’d prefer the teacher be Dave Chappelle rather than Old Grouch Gates. Maybe bringing all this racism out in the open is the right step. But then I noticed that Dave’s white friend is always drinking, while Dave’s always blowing a doob. Notice the famous get together at the White House is just a beer party, not a real House Party. Something’s missing here. You can’t talk about police relations, racism, black problems, intolerance, fear, while leaving out guns, drugs, and violent crime. Or at least it makes for a pretty boring conversation – what will they discuss, mortgage costs and health care? But should they discuss something potentially heated, I’d suggest they’re doing the wrong drug. White House security police should be on the alert. See, much as I like beer, it stimulates the reptilian response in argumentation, which is why the Greeks didn’t allow it in rhetorical debates (though they set aside a few bleacher seats at the Olympics for those Dionysian beer hooligans). But a bit of weed and some good Scooby snacks, those 3 can chat all night in friendly fashion, I’m sure.

During the campaign last year, when people were wringing their hands over how racist America is, I noted that we’d had 13 black astronauts in space, including 3 female, and 2 as mission commanders…. So yesterday, a few days from the 40th anniversary of Neil’s moondance, Bolden was named head of NASA.

To paraphrase Arlo Guthrie, what if they held a Sex Scandal and nobody came? Or at least no liberals/progressives? Nobody chortling and rubbing their thighs, nobody justifying their hypocrisy because of the offender’s hypocrisy. Because it’s (almost always) none of our business.

In the middle of a quagmire, it’s easy to create whatever facts you want. For the last 8 years we’ve been in a panicked haze over 9/11. Even so-called liberals are dazed and confused, fed little bits of disinformation to toss morals overboard. False choices abound – “Indefinite Detention? Or health care?” It’s like we’re channeling Tom Tomorrow.