Today's MOSTLY TRUE SHORT STORY: Times Change

 

When we so-called baby boomers were kids we would listen with great amusement as our parents regaled us with stories of how much tougher their upbringing was than ours. You know, the they walked 13 miles to school with snow up to their waists kind of stuff. Of course, we always felt that they made most of it up just to make their stories more dramatic.

However, because of the incredibly rapid rate at which the world has changed, some of what they were preaching just might have been at least partially true. For example, take the walking in the snow thing: the world has been steadily warming over the last century (Global Warming IS real). This means that our parents DID actually have to deal with more snow storms than we did. And, we seem to be getting less snow every year. So, there was some veracity in their recollection.

And, now, I find myself in very much the same situation as my parents, i.e. explaining to young people how different, and in many ways, how my youthful experiences were both simpler but more difficult.

Here's an example.

When I was growing up in the middle and late 1960's, my hometown, Fort Lee, NJ, was experiencing a building boom. My family, like so many others, were moving out of the 5 boroughs of NY City to the more gentle confines of the suburbs, like Fort Lee. So, to accommodate the influx of new families there was an enormous amount of home construction going on.

Of course, unguarded building sites are an irresistible attraction to pre-teens and teens. And, we were no exception.

There was one such construction site located just across the street and down the block from our home. Well, one afternoon, a group of my friends and I were exploring the skeleton frame of the new house when someone noticed a sheen on a puddle of water that was created after a heavy rainstorm the day before. The water also had a powerful odor of gasoline to it. Putting 2 + 2 together, we figured that the sheen was being caused by some fuel that must have been dumped into the puddle. We figured that if we threw a lit match into the puddle, the water would literally burn. And, that's exactly what happened. Someone struck a match and when it hit the gasoline infused water it erupted in flames. COOL we all blurted out - the water was indeed burning!

After a few minutes of being mesmerized by the flames, we got bored. So, a bunch of the gang decided to start tossing other things into the blaze just to watch them burn. One of my friends decided to take it one step further and light something WITH the fire but not toss it into the inferno. So, he found a cardboard box and lit the edge of one of the flaps. He then pulled it out of the fire and decided to swing it as fast as he could over his head. We were all amazed when the faster he spun the box the more the flames formed a continuous loop, like a flaming lasso.

Well, after a few minutes the flap that my friend was using to hold and swing the flaming box by broke off, sending it flying - eventually landing squarely on my head!!!

It was not a thick cardboard box so the flames just lasted a few more seconds while still affixed to my head and face. Fortunately, it did not burn me badly but it was just long enough to singe my hair, blacken my face, and burn off my eyebrows!!

Still, I was horrified!!

As I mentioned, my house was just about a block away and I made a beeline for it, running as fast as a could, screaming all the way. My older sister still remembers the sound of my cowboy boots (I was obsessed with cowboys at the time) banging on the pavement while I was yelling WOOOOO the entire way home.

Of course, my mother was home at the time and assessed the situation. I was really more singed that actually burnt but I would certainly need to be attended to. However, instead of taking me to the nearest hospital (which in those days was a considerable distance away) or family doctor, my mother took me to the local pharmacy. The pharmacist was a childhood friend of my father's and we were taken to him, rather than a hospital or doctor, the great majority of the times we needed some type of medical intervention.

And, this was deemed as no exception.

The pharmacist coated my head, face, and neck with a cooling burn gel and sent me home in the care of my mother. I remember getting the special treatment which including resting in my sister's bedroom because she had her own room (I shared mine with my younger brother) and a full-sized bed (mine as just a single). I must say that I was treated like a king - for a few days, anyway! I was not seriously injured and really suffered more from embarrassment that anything else.

I think that any parent today would be mortified at how that situation was handled. I believe that they would have had me airlifted to Westchester Medical Center to be placed in a hyperbaric chamber! OK, perhaps that's hyperbole but they certainly would have taken me to a hospital or one of the emergency walk-in clinics that have proliferated in recent years. But, at the time, that was not OUR reality.

Does this upbringing make me any tougher than say someone who was raised more recently? Perhaps. I'm not so sure of that. However, I do believe that it's safe to say times have certainly changed. Things certainly were simpler in most ways 50+ years ago. But, does that make one way better than the other. Of that, I am no so sure of either. 

Only when our children tell THEIR children will the truth be revealed.

Today's MOZEN: Not Left Behind

Donald Trump's meteoric and almost completely unexpected rise to the Presidency of the United States was fueled by millions of people who felt that they had become disenfranchised from the American dream. Mostly from rural areas and un or under-educated, these Americans expressed their frustration with being left behind, if not downright ignored by the government by voting for Mr. Trump.

So, they elected a man who supposedly was not a part of the Washington system and promised them everything that they wanted to hear: glorious coal would be making a comeback.  Manufacturing jobs would be returning in droves. And, a new border wall, paid for by Mexico, would keep the violent hordes from shit hole countries away from their jobs, wives, and daughters.

They would not be forgotten anymore.

Certainly, most of their concerns were (and, still are) legitimate. Many rural areas have been sorely neglected for decades. Since the bulk of US voters live in urban areas, political expediency dictated that the lion share of available aid went there instead of to country folk. With the risk of sounding flippant, it's simply more popular to be poor in the city than it is to be in the country.

However, despite the legitimacy of their issues, their cause eventually took on the mantle of Fear and Loathing. This, of course, was exacerbated by a feckless President, who fed on those insecurities for his own benefit. In doing so, he created an atmosphere that encouraged rage instead of cooperation.

He fostered an attitude that by raising the living standards of those who have been traditionally overlooked (i.e. people of color, immigrants, etc.), we would thereby reduce what people who had little left to lose even further. So, they would cling to the last vestige of power that they had left, that of White Privilege. It seemed as long as they had someone to look down on, their lives couldn't be all that bad.

Although very much in focus today, this attitude has been with us for a long time, particularly in the South. One of the great conundrums of the Civil War was how a slaveholding aristocracy managed to convince a poor, non-slaveholding populace to fight and die for THEIR cause. Many historians suggest that they did so by aristocrats persuading white Southerners that they still had at least someone, i.e. blacks, that they could look down upon. At least that was something.

And, we have a similar attitude today.

The mob that attacked The Capitol in Washington, reaping havoc and causing wanton destruction, was overwhelmingly white. OVERWHELMING, if not exclusively so. The very idea that their man in the White House, the man who told them what they wanted to hear, whether truthful or not, was no longer in charge sent them into a frenzy of carnage. Furthermore, although people participated from all over the Country, interviews revealed a very high percentage of participants that came from rural America.

They feared that the progress of some would mean even less for them.

The Civil War is over!!!

Somehow, some way, some day, we will have to convince these people that raising the standard of living for ALL doesn't mean accepting less for OTHERS. If we work together to improve the lot of all, we are not leaving anyone behind. The two things are not mutually exclusive! Fear and Loathing should NOT be part of the equation.

There will still be enough cake left for everyone to have their piece - and, eat it too.

Today's MOZEN: A NEW DAY

All photos by F LoBuono

 Like the sun breaking through the clouds of a storm that we felt would never end, a new Administration is shinning over a revitalized America. The Rule of Law has prevailed. Our Democracy, although battered and bruised by the thugish behavior of the previous occupant of the Whitehouse, has once again showed its resilience.

Joe Biden, in a moving and glorious ceremony, was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States. His running mate, Kamala Harris, was also sworn in as the first woman AND the 2nd person of color to hold the office of the Vice President.*

The entire day was filled with brilliant significance. THIS administration, contrary to the previous, is rightly proud of the diversity it is bringing to Washington. President Biden (damn it feels good just to say that), has surrounded himself with a highly qualified, assorted group of professionals that include women, gays, and various cultures. There are even two rescue dogs! Again, this in high contrast to the previous one which was overwhelming white, older, and male (and, Mr. Trump hates dogs!).

The four plus years of ugliness, bullying, mendacity, and fraud can slowly but surely be put behind us. Donald J. Trump has finally dragged his sorry ass back to his faux fortress in Florida leaving me and over 81 million of my fellow Americans, basking in the glow of a new day.

And, it sure feels good . . . 

* Charles Curtis was the 31st VP of the US. He was a bi-racial Native American.

The Ugliest Americans

 

F LoBuono

The term Ugly American was popularized in 1963 by a movie of the same name starring Marlon Brando about an American diplomat serving in Southeast Asia struggling with the clash of cultures. The expression was often used as a pejorative to describe the perceived arrogance of Americans, especially when traveling abroad. It was an attitude expressed by many Americans that thought our wealth, freedom, laws, and very Democracy made us better than any other society. To quote a crass phrase, we acted as if our shit didn't stink.

We felt as if we were immune to the class stratification, bigotry, and racism that was found in so many foreign societies. In essence, we dripped of privilege.

Whenever I traveled abroad I was very aware to keep that term in mind. I always did my best to respect whatever local culture we were visiting and the people people who lived it. They certainly had as much to give me as I them, perhaps more so.

Although the term is generally associated with travel it can also be used to describe the Zeitgeist of many Americans. The type of Americans who chant Love it or Leave it, America First, and Make America Great Again, i.e. the type of people who assaulted the Capitol on January 6, 2021 - Trump Supporters.

The crowd that did their worst to stage a Coup on our legally elected government at the behest of a rogue President were The UGLIEST AMERICANS - ignorant, overwhelming white, spoiled, privileged fools, taken advantage of by a snake oil salesmen. The crowd was ripe with goons, their Stars and Bars flags flowing. Trump banners and hats were visible everywhere. Wannabe soldiers of fortune paraded in their phony tactical gear and militia insignia. Even half-naked savages in phony animal pelts made an appearance.

They came because he played on their fears that their way of life, of what little white privilege that had left, was about to be ripped away by others who simply wanted their share of the so-called American Dream. You know - brown people, black people, yellow people, gay people, trans people, Jews, and anyone who didn't look like them, talk like them, worship like them, or think like them.

I watched the assault on TV with my mother, sister, and my mother's aid, a beautiful black woman named Melissa. As we watched the crowd get more out of control and serge towards the Capitol, I remarked to Melissa, "wow, look at all the black folks there!"

She responded, "I don't see any black people."

I said, "exactly."

Ugly, white Americans.

Like a bunch of spoiled brats who didn't get their way for their birthdays they decided to ruin the party for everyone and rampaged virtually unchecked.

Yet, they claim to be ordinary Americans.

They may be but I say, who the fuck do they think they are to negate MY  voice - the one, who along with over 80 MILLION other American voices, said ENOUGH, BE GONE. We want our Country back!

Four years ago I had to acknowledge that my candidate had lost the election and that a man I had no respect for would become our new leader. I never liked it, but I accepted it. I didn't give a shit that he won on a technicality. Under our laws, Donald J. Trump was the duly elected President of the United States. And, even though I detested him as I man, I NEVER challenged his right to the Presidency. In the beginning, I even resisted calling him anything but Mr. or President Trump - because that's what he was. And, I was willing to support any policy that I felt he attempted for the good of the Country.

However, those policies NEVER came. I never supported a wall that Mexico would never pay for. It was never completed anyway. Promised Health Care reforms never happened. Environmental safeguards were dismantled. No coherent measures were ever taken to combat the deadly Covid-19 pandemic. North Korea remains a nuclear threat. Russia still runs roughshod over our elections. Our allies now refuse to meet with our representatives. And, our Country hasn't been this violently divided since the deadly Civil War.

Still, I never even contemplated having Mr. Trump illegally removed from office. There is a huge difference between opposing his platform and participating in an attack designed to overthrow our legal election process! When his first Impeachment ended without a conviction, I may have been disappointed but I ACCEPTED THE RESULT  - because being a true American means accepting the Rule of Law.

What was exposed on that rueful day in January was the UGLIEST part of America staged by The Ugliest Americans: the racists, the bigots, the homophobes, and the ignorant. And, unfortunately, I fear that they will always be with us. We are not perfect and never will be. We can't be. That is not realistic. However, there are those of us who still believe that this Country can move forward together and once again make this a land of opportunity for ALL. It can be a land of strength through compassion if we want it to be. There is still more of US who believe than there is of THEM who don't - yes, them.

Unfortunately, it must be that way. January 6th proved that. That behavior IS America, too. I don't believe that we will ever truly eliminate this mindset from our ranks. But, with the right leadership, I think that we may be able to at least control it - to resign it to the backwaters of the American psyche from which it came.

And, they can take The Ugliest American of Them All, Donald J. Trump, with them.

Long Live President Joe Biden.

Long Live The United States of America.

Word For The Day: WHAT-ABOUT-ISM

 

F LoBuono

When Donald J. Trump's cadre of malcontents and misanthropes try defending their outrageous and illegal actions at the Capitol, they get a serious case of what-about-ism, i.e. they deflect and deceive by trying to find the moral equivalence with other events they think justify their abhorrent actions. We've been hearing them since the very beginning of the Trump travesty.

When questions were raised about Trump's private conversations with Vladimir Putin we got "what about Hillary's emails?" Or, "what about Benghazi?" When his phone call to the President of Ukraine to find dirt on Joe Biden was tagged for potential illegality and caused his first Impeachment, it was "what about Hunter Biden and Burisma?" 

And, in a desperate attempt at some type of moral equivalence, they are using it to maximum effect in their defense not only for the attack on the Capitol building, but on the very Democracy we hold so dear.

"What about George Floyd in Minneapolis?"

"What about BLM in Portland and D.C.?"

"What about Chicago?"

"What about New York?"

And, blah, blah, blah - anything to avoid responsibility for their atrocious deeds!

WHAT-ABOUT-ISM

Let me make this abundantly clear: there is NO moral equivalence between the actions of mostly peaceful demonstrators in their fight for social justice and the mob that defecated in the Halls of Congress, waived the flag of treason in The Rotunda, threatened duly elected officials, trashed the Capitol building, and attacked and killed policemen.

Look, I support the 1st Amendment in its totality. The People have the right to peacefully assemble and address grievances. The key word here is peaceful. I condemn violence wherever it is found and no matter who commits it - be it Portland, Chicago, New York, or Washington, D.C.

And, in particular, I condemn the actions of THE Many who took part in the attempted sedition on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. The more video that comes in of the event, the more we see a ruthless, classless mob lacking ANY moral code, bent solely on creating mayhem and destruction.

Furthermore, they were driven by the lies spewed to them by one man and reinforced by his immoral flunkies. And, that man is Donald J. Trump.

Illustration by Kaya Mar

So, Trumpers, "what about your treason?" 

What about THAT?"

Today's MOZEN: Not Going Anywhere

F LoBuono

 It's frustrating to the point of exhaustion. Trying to use logic, fact, reasoning, and simple common sense to a Trump supporter is like trying to sell sand to a Bedouin, i.e. a waste of time.

There are times when I just want to scream out loud, STOP IT! JUST STOP IT!! While at others, I simply want to run away to some deserted island that has no electricity and, therefore, no internet of TV (but, it must have a beach and palm trees).

I so want to tune it out but my heart won't let me. I keep hearing the words of Dr. Martin Luther King: Our lives begin to end when we become silent about things that matter. In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

So, in other words, failure is not an option. I cannot stop. I will not stop until justice is served and that evil man and all of his minions are relegated to the junk heap of history.

But, man, it's so hard sometimes to reach that level of transcendence.

Here's what I mean.

In a recent Facebook post about the pandemic that caught my eye, there was one response that was particularly blatant in its paranoia. The gentlemen, whom I don't know personally, was blaming Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the world's leading authorities on infectious diseases, for deliberately causing the pandemic. He claimed that Dr. Fauci had heavily invested in a pharmaceutical company that makes vaccines and, therefore, created the virus so he could make an enormous profit on the sale of a life-saving drug.

Really?

This smallish, Italian-American man, who was raised humbly in Brooklyn, NY, went to school, studied like a mad man, became a doctor and then a leading research, ALWAYS had a plan to grow up, infect the world, and then make a huge profit on a vaccine he helped create.

Really?

You can't make this shit up.

But, this is the kind of irrational nonsense that virtually all of Mr. Trump's supporters choose to believe. And, in my mind, it is a choice. There is plenty of factual research available to explain how and why the pandemic happened - and, it ain't Dr. Fauci!!

This is just one of many conspiratorial theories Trump's supporters are rabid believers in. And, unfortunately, this makes them dangerous. Just look at what happened recently at the Capitol. Tens of thousands heeded the call of their madman leader to descend on D.C. and create chaos and mayhem - all for a pack of lies.

No. Unfortunately, now is not the time for my beach retirement. I cannot - we cannot - rest until our Country is returned to us and Mr. Trump and his minions become nothing more than a bad memory. 

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT: The Real TDS

F LoBuono

 Of all the groups of troglodytes that attacked our democracy by invading the Capitol, there are two that I find the most infuriating: Evangelical Christians and Military Veterans. And, that's because both share a disturbing level of hypocrisy.

First, let's deal with the Evangelicals.

Their duplicity knows no bounds. They devote their lives to a deity who is known as The Prince of Peace. The Christ preached love above all else, service above self, and respect for ALL living things. 

Yet, these so-called Born Again Christians seem to observe these tenets only when people completely agree with THEIR beliefs and platform. Others, even if they are righteous human beings who do not share their views, are doomed to eternal damnation. For example, Jews, even those who remain true to their own faith, are condemned to the pits of hell if they do not acknowledge THE CHRISTIAN GOD, i.e. Jesus, as their savior. And, they're willing to kill and maim to prove their point. According to them, this is to be a Christian Nation with no room for anyone else.

Many of the rioters at the Capitol carried Christian symbols and claimed that they were there by god's authority. If they needed to use violence to achieve their goals, at least it was sanctioned by Jesus.

Really.

Military veterans who participated and continue to support the failed regime of Donald J. Trump are an enigma to me.

However, before I explain my reasoning, let me say how much I respect veterans. My father and virtually all of my uncles served in the military, many in WWII. So, I know of the sacrifices they all made in the service of this Country. I admire them. They all became part of something greater than themselves.

Apparently, a fairly large amount of the mob that breached the gates of the Capitol were military veterans. Some evidence suggests that even some active duty soldiers and sailors were involved. Many of them were betrayed by the tactical gear and clothing they wore and the tactics they employed to gain entrance to the building.

The question that confounds me is why someone who is willing to sacrifice so much in the line of duty, would break their oath to defend the Constitution, especially for a man who not only did NOT serve but did his best to make sure that he did not (Mr. Trump received 5 deferments for bone spurs)? In addition to his own cowardice, he has made documented comments insulting ALL veterans, calling them suckers, and attacking legitimate war heroes like the late John McCain.

It just doesn't make any sense. Two groups whose mission should be to both protect and heal our society, are doing it the most harm.

Supporters of Mr. Trump argue that he was never given a chance to implement his vision of America and that those who oppose him suffer with something called TDS or Trump Derangement Syndrome, i.e. constantly looking for something to deride him with.

What nonsense.

One needn't look far or fast to see his shortcomings. His hardcore supporters fail to acknowledge the fact that he NEVER won the popular vote - in either election - because HIS vision is not America's. It might be for some, but not for most - literally. If anything, that moniker should be stuck on his supporters, not detractors, because the deranged people I saw where the ones attacking democracy in the name of one Donald J. Trump.

So, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, place eternal shame on those who use the religion of peace and love as a cudgel to implement their doctrine and on the others who pervert their oaths to an ideal and give it to a man who is, in reality, despite his title, beneath them.

Today's MOZEN: The Arc of Moral Justice

 

F LoBuono

Nobody's right if everybody's wrong . . . 

is a seminal verse from Buffalo Springfield's classic "For What It's Worth." Written at a time when the dispute over the Vietnam War was ripping the Country apart, it's a plea for at least some type of unity.

We could sure use a little of that today.

However, I take issue with that as a blanket statement - because, sometimes, things are just plain wrong!

Let's take the latest outrage; the storming of the US Capitol by rabid Trump supporters. They, and those who supported them even if they did not take part, claim that they acted in such a violent manner because they were just exercising their patriotic duty as Americans. They were going to right a terrible wrong done to their candidate, Donald Trump. This was executed despite the fact that there is absolutely NO creditable evidence that Mr. Trump was actually cheated out of an election victory. And, the sad part is that most actually believed that they were acting as true patriots. 

The problem is they ARE wrong. There is no grey area here.

Aaron Burr thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

Benedict Arnold thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

Robert E. Lee thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

John Wilkes Booth thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

Joseph Goebbels thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

Lee Harvey Oswald thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

James Earl Ray thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

Timothy McVeigh thought he was a patriot - he was wrong.

And, the list goes on . . .

All of these figures felt that they were doing the right things for the right reasons and acting in the best interests of the Country. And, with the benefit of hindsight, we realize just how misguided they were.

All of them have been found to be on the wrong side of history.

Despite their patriotic zeal, the same will be said of those who continue to support the failed administration of Donald J. Trump.

So, who is to actually say who is right and who is wrong?

Well, generally speaking, the side who WINS does.

And, why is this the case? Because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice. To reduce that to its most simple terms, we could say that if there is true, moral goodness in a cause, it may take its lumps, but in the end that cause will triumph.

It always has. And, it always will.

The same will be said of Mr. Trump and ALL of his supporters because their so-called patriotism is based on ALL of the wrong things: greed, fear, loathing, mendacity, and hate. These traits will NEVER succeed in the end. They may have their moments (as is the case now), but the arc of the universe will return to justice - as it always has. 

Today's MOZEN: A Tale of Two Trees

 Months before the Covid-19 Pandemic created havoc throughout America and caused the shutdown of the CBS News Broadcast Center in Midtown Manhattan, in an effort to add some color and life to the 4th floor newsroom, the management brought in about a half dozen fig trees and placed them at various spots throughout the room.

Why they choose fig trees, notorious for their fickle nature, is beyond me. However, be that as it may, it was nice to have something to look at besides the glow of TV monitors. It brought some life. literally, into the mostly sterile newsroom.

True to form, within a few weeks a couple of the trees began losing their broad leaves and did not appear very healthy. However, with care from myself and a few other technicians, they began to thrive.

Then the pandemic hit, forcing the evacuation of the building. It would be weeks before anyone was allowed back in.

During that time there was absolutely no one to care for the little fig trees and they started dying off, one by one. When I was assigned to return to The Broadcast Center along with a skeleton staff, I noticed that all of the fig trees had dried out and were beyond saving - all by one. Just one had a few leaves left and was obviously struggling but still alive!

I took it upon myself to see if I could save that little fig tree. So, I started to water it again every few days. Much to my surprise, the tree responded and the leaves turned thick and bright green again. I mean it wasn't going to win any awards for the prettiest tree on the block but it was ALIVE and I pledged to keep it that way. So, I kept up the watering schedule and the tree continued to thrive.

The moral of the story, I suppose, is to never give up. No matter how bad things look, never lose hope because where there is life, there is ALWAYS a chance. There are still good people in the world who will be there to give you water when you need it most.

JUST HANG IN THERE.

Today's MOZEN: STOP HIM NOW!!

Illustration Kaya Mar

 Once again, let's reduce things to the simplest terms, i.e. the lowest common denominator. Fuck those morons who stormed the US Capitol with their animal skins, fake horned helmets, Confederate and Trump paraphernalia. Although every one of those troglodytes needs to be hunted down and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, there is but ONE person who is solely responsible for the carnage the entire world witnessed on Wednesday, January 6, 2021 - to mirror FDR's famous quote: A date that will live in infamy.

It rests squarely on the shoulders of the man in charge, the one who the buck is supposed to stop with, i.e. The President of the United States - Donald J. Trump.

His entire tenure has been built on lie after lie, fabrication after fabrication. And, his enablers, including the over 70 million fools who voted for him in 2020, are all complicit in the violence we are now witnessing. And, the latest, that the election was stolen from him, is the most egregious. There is absolutely no evidence to support this claim. The origin of it comes, again, from a single source - The Liar-In-Chief, Donald J. Trump.

And, despite his terrible legacy as a bald-faced liar, his minions choose to believe him.

It threatens are very Democracy.

You can't yell FIRE in a crowded theater when there is no fire and then tell people it was your opinion, you were misinterpreted, or then condemn the people that trampled each other to death in their efforts to escape a burning theater that wasn't.

That's not Free Speech - it's ANARCHY!!

But, that's what fascists do.

And, make no mistake about it - that's EXACTLY what our President is - a fucking FASCIST, a man who would do anything, including risking our very stability as a nation just to stay in power.

His latest attempt at hanging on to the Presidency is beyond the pail and must be treated as such.

Mandel Ngan - AFP/Getty Images

Donald J. Trump must be held fully accountable for the events that transpired at the Capitol, including the death of a Capitol policeman who was crushed to death in the melee. And, this must transpire NOW, not later. We can no longer appease this man and his minions. If force is necessary, than so be it. He/they must not be allowed to hijack our democracy and the Rule of Law.

History has shown us that if we don't stand up to bullies we get dictators - horrible human beings that care only for themselves and their own power.

So, join me. STAND UP to this misanthrope and say NO MORE! We simply can't wait for the transition of power on January 20. That may be too late. We can't wait even one more day. This evil man must go NOW!!!!

F loBuono

Today's MOZEN: Time Will Not Heal

 

They say that time heals all wounds. And, that may be true. However, there are some that, even though technically healed, leave a visible scar. And, that scar is there to remind us of the pain we endured in its creation in the first place.

Wednesday, 1/6/2021 will be remembered as a grievous wound that left a scar that will never fade.

The storming of the US Capitol by lame duck President Donald J. Trump's most ardent supporters, encouraged by the President himself and others in power, will forever be associated with terms like:

Insurrection - Assault - Treason - Sedition - Thuggery - Criminality - Insanity - Ignorance - Hypocrisy - Bigotry - Incompetence - and, flat out Stupidity

And, all of it willful.

There are so many factors that contributed to this catastrophe and many more to consider in its aftermath.

This mob didn't necessarily start out as such. Their march on Washington was a misguided attempt, fed by the flat out lies of the President himself, to persuade Congress to over-rule the will of the people and prevent them from their legal, sacred, sworn duty naming Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States.

Their first mistake of many.

As much as I see the absurdity in their argument and the futility in their efforts, I still support their right to peacefully assemble and to petition the government for a redress of their grievances, i.e. The First Amendment. What's good for the goose must be good for the gander. If Black Lives Matter must be permitted to march and protest, so must MAGA.

But, then MAGA became just a mob - and, I'm not sure if it were anything more than just that in the first place.

Their ignorance knows no bounds. And, their hypocrisy is even worse.

While condemning the BLM movement's actions, they perpetrated the most vicious attack on the very symbol that guaranteed them the freedom to be there in the first place! And, the mob did so in the most egregious manner, storming the Capitol building itself, assaulting the police, taking photos, making videos, urinating in the hallways, and ransacking offices. Things were broken or stolen. The Temple of Democracy was desecrated. The Capitol is far more than just a building, like the Parthenon or the Statue Of Liberty, it is a symbol of democracy.

Then, there was the response of Law Enforcement that seemed ill prepared for the mob that the crowd had become. Quite frankly, they were overpowered. More disturbingly, was their seemingly patient attitude towards the overwhelmingly white crowd. As I was watching it get away from the police in real-time, I couldn't help but think that if it was indeed BLM marching up the Capitol steps their response would have been far different, i.e. violent.

And, make no mistake about it. This was terrorism - perpetrated by thugs and encouraged by goons like "Trial By Combat" Rudy Giuliani and Don, Jr.

All of it for a pack of lies generated by a megalomaniac and in the name of freedom or, at least their perverse version of it.

With the support of sycophants like GOP Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, the the attack took on the air of a coup. We should never forget their treason and that it was motivated by their own political ambitions.

Country over Party - my ass - not with Trumpsters!

All of them should be punished to the full extent of the law. Those not guilty of crimes should then be at least scorned. They've earned it.

Moving forward, this was far more that just a riot to keep Mr. Trump in office. It was a struggle for the soul of America - and, it has been since the beginning of this administration. It's plain to see what that soul might consist of if Wednesday is any indication of what we can expect (should they have their way); a Country run by bigots, fools, liars, conspiracy theorists, miscreants, and violent white folk.

People will defend them by saying they love America as much as we do, just in their own way. And, they're fighting for that way of life. Well, my response is this, it's a quote from Ulysses S. Grant: 

There are but two parties now: traitor and patriot. And I want hereafter to associated with the latter, and, I trust, the stronger one.

Today's MOZEN: Hard Work

 Growing up mostly in Fort Lee, NJ, in the 1960's and 70's, my family was not one of means. My father's family owned a deli in nearby Cliffside Park until they sold the place and he became a Bergen County Sheriff's Officer. My mother also worked (rare in its day) as a secretary in Fort Lee High School. In fact, we ALL worked beginning at an early age.

I got my first real job with real working papers when I was 14. I worked as many as 12 hours a day making cotton candy at the famous Palisades Amusement Park. My father even worked there on the side as a security guard to earn some extra $.

Our parents didn't necessarily require us to contribute to the house fund but the more independent we were financially the less the burden they had in trying to provide everything for us. So, if we wanted something specifically for ourselves, our parents would encourage us to earn the money and purchase whatever it was we felt we needed. It certainly fostered in us a sense of personal responsibility, both fiscally and emotionally.

A good example of this occurred when I wanted to purchase a special pair of athletic shoes to use when I played football. They were about $50, considered very expensive at the time. But, I just had to have them. My parents thought that I was crazy but also added that if I earned the money, I could do just about anything I wanted to do with it. And, so I did. Making cotton candy I earned that and more, and bought those damned shoes!

I owe the fierce independence I now possess to that early lesson. In addition, it helped me to develop the strong work ethic that has driven me to this day.

Part of that ethos was to establish in me a working man's mentality. I wanted to know through experience what it was like to work hard - physically - and, the harder the better, especially for the summers when school was not in session.

So, every summer, instead of going to the beach, I went to work.

And, I looked for the hardest, most physical jobs I could find like construction or road work. I even considered being a longshoreman (if I could get it). I felt like since I spent 9 months in school exercising my brain, it was now time to challenge my body.

Certainly, there was an upside in thinking this way. I am not, and never have been afraid of hard work. And, I feel that has served me well during tough time because I know that I can do just about ANYTHING I need to do to survive.

However, there was definitely a downside, too.

Instead of just using my brawn, perhaps I should have used the time to continue exercising my brain. Many young people actually used their summers to expand their career opportunities by working within their chosen educational fields thereby gaining valuable experience and making the type of connections that would prove so useful in the future endeavors. I suppose the problem with me was not only did I want to do something different from what I was actually learning in school, I had no really defined career goal in mind. My father thought I should be a doctor or lawyer. But, that was HIS desire for me and not necessarily my own.

Did I weaken my future professional prospects by doing physical labor during my school summers? I can't help but think that in some ways it did. Kids that took the professional route certainly seemed to have achieved greater success in their chosen fields than I have. But, then again, success is a relative word. I've done alright for myself. I've made good money and traveled the world. And, I did it almost completely by myself. I paid for my own education and owe no man or institution money or servitude. And, I credit that working man's ethic for that accomplishment.

Hard word has indeed set me free . . . 

Today's MOZEN: Fish Lessons

 

Brevoortia  Tyrannus

Sometimes I feel like a menhaden (Brevoortia  Tyrannus - Atlantic variety) a.k.a. bunker or pogy. It is one of the most numerous and important fish in the sea. Virtually anyone who plies the ocean is familiar with it.

It is not large (rarely more than 15 inches), beautiful or fierce. In fact, it is quite ordinary in almost every sense of the word.

Why then is it SO important?

Well, because its very existence keeps so many other species, including man, alive.

The menhaden schools feed whales, dolphins, stripped bass, bluefish, osprey, eagles, and countless other coastal species. When the Pilgrims arrived in the New World, the Native Americans taught them to use the decaying bodies of the fish as fertilizer in their crop fields. Fisherman use it as bait to capture other marine species, including sharks and tuna.

Therefore, in essence, without this rather lowly creature, the seas would die and so would we. Its only purpose other than its own existence is to support the life of others - even if it means sacrificing its own.

I see it as a metaphor for my own life. I really don't envision myself as particularly special in any way - I'm not big, fast, or fierce. I don't consider myself handsome or particularly intelligent. Fame and fortune are nowhere to be found in my life. Great love has evaded me.

Still, I give what I DO have back to the world and in doing so hope that I provide spiritual nourishment for others. Like the humble menhaden, my gifts may often be overlooked but they remain essential to the prosperity of the world at large. And, I need to remember that . . .