This is simply a rant with no graphics as they are difficult for my eighty year old mind! It is about our loss of decency, empathy and, yes, “kind hearts and gentle people”. One does not have to be Christian to adhere to those ideals, but Christians should be ahead of the line in those attributes if, indeed, they believe in Christ’s teachings. The internet has promoted our loss of civility, and the great uptick in crass and truly egregious, vindictive, vitriolic exchanges. I was taught in theatre classes that if you are having a problem getting angry enough for the character, pound on the desk, jump up and down, actions will help illuminate the feeling of anger. That is what is happening to our country.

That brings me to my sick stomach feeling at the moment. I cannot imagine that a huge auditorium of my fellow citizens would stand up and applaud the death of a war hero who had been imprisoned and tortured, lifetime public servant, who leaves a surviving family still grieving his passing. Trump had no problem eliciting that response at CPAC while feeling “the love” for him (and his bone spurs).

It was quite awful enough to see him with a really comical expression on his face denigrating our flag by hugging it and waiting for the applause. This is what all you people with flags flying from your vehicles like to see? Our forefathers would be disgusted, and rightly so! That flag has been tattered and torn with the winds of war, carried to other countries in the name of freedom, occasionally making mistakes in judgement, but always trying to be on the side of justice and equal opportunity. To treat it like a puppy you love so much you have to squeeze and squeeze…until it ceases to breathe… is an abomination (check out Lennie in Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck). It seems there is a large segment of our population (although not the majority) that is quite comfortable with our wonderful experiment in governance going the way of the Roman Empire. According to one historian on NPR it is a long, slow process, hardly noticeable as the norms and laws decay incrementally. One more reason I am happy to be leaving this earth within the next decade or two, I have no interest in seeing the kind of chaos the Roman Empire faced as the decay increased and politicians split the populace and created anger, hatred, suspicion…sound familiar?

I am not a historian, I do not claim expertise in politics or anything else. I do believe in civility, empathy, that dirty word compromise, ethics, and truthfulness. Our erstwhile leader fails on all of the above and has carried the once respected Republican party into his corrupt idea of “service to the country”. I will no longer lower myself to argue the fact that he lies, it is proven by listening to his own words…on tape! I will no longer argue his morals or ethics…he has had three wives and two mistresses (at least), and multiple contractors he has refused to pay. There is more, so much more, proven and known by the world, but hardly worth reiterating since many either believe he is a messenger from God or an arm of Satan. In actuality he is simply a highly flawed, self-indulgent human being who managed to sell his snake oil to a large segment of our voters and now seems to believe, and has convinced them, that he is the greatest president of all time.

I have news for him and all of his followers, not one president from our historic past…not one…would have encouraged their audience to applaud the death of a national hero with the kind of life Senator McCain lived and the service he rendered. He, too, was human and therefore flawed, as we all are, but he was brave, heroic and lived his life in service to this country. Be assured, Senator, that whether or not we agreed with all of your votes or actions, the vast majority of your beloved country honors your life and grieved your death. Rest in peace, and if it is possible pray for this beleaguered country you loved.