Not a Work Day

Hard for me to work today because I was enthralled by following two things on Facebook today: the Women’s March and the fallout from the shutdown.

The Women’s March, impressive last year, broke all records across the country this year, turning out thousands in all major cities. Women, children, men, some wearing pink hats, most carrying signs, all shouting positively—an amazing sight to behold. I’m so in awe of them. Locally, I was proud to see several of my friends among the marchers in Fort Worth. I wish I’d been with them, though honesty compels me to admit that even if I were mobile enough to march, I probably wouldn’t have. It takes a special kind of courage to join throngs like that. My lifelong dislike, even fear of crowds, may have kept me away, plus my age. Then again perhaps those crowds look more intimidating in aerial views than when you’re on the ground among the marchers. But I was wholeheartedly cheering for those women and their support teams who did march. The best I can do for the resistance movement is to cheer from the sidelines…and post on Facebook. Believe me I do that with vigor.

The reaction to the shutdown has also captivated me. I expected no less than blame flung on both sides, and I know I have a one-sided view, but I cannot get past the point that the Republicans control Senate, House, and White House—they can stop this any time they want. The other thing that sticks in my craw is that when bills were proposed to guarantee military pay and to suspend congressional pay during the shutdown, Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Republicans, was quick to object. So the military may forfeit pay, though they usually don’t, while the do-nothing Congress gets full pay, no matter how long they diddle around with this.

Many blame the Democrats for this shutdown: please remember the Republicans defunded CHIP a year ago and have delayed considering it for months—now, they attach it to a controversial bill. Similarly, they have refused to come to grips with the DACA problem and a solution. Now McConnell claims it’s not urgent—they have until early March to deal with it. What makes anyone think they could deal with it by then, when they haven’t been able to for the past year.

Sorry I got started on a rant, but I hate to see my country being railroaded by a man whose ties to Russia get deeper every day. I’m going to distract myself and read a novel,

Football and a rant

This is going to turn into a political rant, so if you want to move on now, I understand. But first I have to say that I have never seen so much purple in a grocery store as I saw this morning—all young men. One group in purple shirts and khaki pants, another in white, long-sleeved shirts with astounding purple jeans—I pretty quickly decided they were part of a pledge class. And assorted purple shirts throughout the store. I’ve heard that people who like purple are kinder and more intelligent—hope that’s true.

As if I didn’t know, the young man who carried my groceries told me it was the opening home game. I knew—mostly because a friend was taking Jacob. I’m not much of a football fan but I am glad they won 70-7 today. I think it a bit unfair to match Stephen F. Austin against such a powerful rival, but what do I know about football.

Now, with my local family all glued to the Baylor game at their house, I’m quietly at home. There’s something nice about breakfast for dinner, and I just had bacon and poached eggs on cheese toast. Next door, the MSU/LSU game is on a big outdoor screen, so should I want some football all I have to do is turn around and look out the window. My neighbor has a smashing new deck that he built himself, and he sets a huge screen up in the yard. He was cordial about telling me to come over any time, but I’d hardly fit in that crowd—young medical people barely out of their twenties if that. Nice neighbors though. And obviously football season is all around me.

My rant: I am outraged at the conservative policy to defeat Planned Parenthood. Boehner and his cronies know the funding bill, calling for cutting all funding to PP, will not pass the Senate, and should it, the President will veto it, thereby again shutting down the government at great cost to the nation and to many individuals. But then, they figure, the public will think it’s all the Democrats fault. How naïve can they be? Yes, the far right will sing that song but it is so far from the truth that it seems like dirty politics (is there any other kind these days?). All this based on videos which have been proven false. There was a hearing on Capitol Hill to explore Planned Parenthood—but no representatives of the organization were invited or allowed to attend.  The House committee entitled the hearing “Exploring the Horrific Practices of the Nation’s Largest Abortion Provider.” Sure, an unbiased exploration of facts.

Don’t know for sure but I doubt PP is the nation’s largest provider, since abortions are 3% of their mission. It’s called “Don’t tell me about the good they do because my mind is made up, and I don’t want to hear!” We simply cannot let these people determine the future of our country.

See the steam coming out of my ears?

But let me add a positive note: I have tremendous admiration for Bernie Sanders for his refusal to cast aspersions on Hillary Clinton and to voice anything but praise for her. Now that’s politics as it should be.