Who among us is okay?

 

A good number of Americans were cheering this week as John Fetterman, still recovering from a stroke in the spring, took to the debate stage with TV personality Dr. Oz. Fetterman has lingering problems with speech, so he was sometimes hesitant, sometimes of the mark. Greeting the crowd, he wished them “Good night,” which Ted Cruz thought was so hysterical he mocked it at a later rally. But who listens to Ted Cruz? But then there was Dr. Oz, who instead of admiring the courage of his opponent, also mocked him, rolled his eyes in impatience, and was generally a boor. The debate revealed a lot about the rivalry between these two.

Fetterman has spent much of his life working for the people of Pennsylvania. Dr. Oz bought a house in Pennsylvania barely in time to qualify for the residency requirement to run for office—his primary residence is in New Jersey, with a mansion in Florida. The story I like best: Oz had someone build a private basketball court in one of his properties; Fetterman built a community court so underprivileged kids could play basketball. Tell me which is the better man?

Yet, Fetterman got a fair share of criticism, even from his own party where at least one person opined he probably should not have debated. And Republicans were quick to judge that he is not capable of holding such a responsible position as senator. (These same people think Herschel Walker is capable, even though every time he opens his mouth word salad comes out.)

The Fetterman episode, if you want to call it that, made clear the value too many in our country place on ableism. There seems to be one cookie cutter version of who is okay—the man or woman who excels at everything from public speaking to sport and beyond. Anyone who varies from that norm is different, suspect, and probably incapable. Take the way Republicans hastened to claim President Biden is senile. The fact that Biden battles a lifelong stuttering problem, which accounts for his occasionally hesitant speech, elicits not cheers for what he’s able to do despite that handicap but accusations that he belongs in a care facility and Dr. Jill Biden is really running the show. If anyone has ever demonstrated that they are in command of the situation, it’s Joe Biden whose accomplishments in two years of presidency have been nothing short of amazing—from turning the economy around, passing legislation for economic growth and renovation of the infrastructure to delicately aligning allies to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s incursion. And he’s done it all despite dig-your-heels-in opposition from conservatives.

I have felt some of this ableism myself. These days I need assistance to walk and hearing aids if I am going to hear what others say. I always have someone with me when I am out, because I do not drive any longer —fighting the walker into the car without losing my balance presented too many chances for disaster. But almost inevitably, salespeople, receptionists, and others talk to the person with me until I want to raise my hand and shout, “There’s an okay brain in here!” I am still writing, still cooking, still very much a functioning member of society.

None of us fit that cookie cutter mold of the prefect person. Fortunately many people fight to recognize and accept the differences in people. Some of us are learning to fold those with differences into our lives and world and make them welcome, to let their light shine as it will. My neighborhood has a special early trick-or treat night—this year on Saturday before Halloween. The evening is a sensory friendly event, a calm and less overwhelming experience for children with different abilities. No loud noises or scary tricks.

In addition, the city ambulance service, MedStar, brings two severely handicapped children and their families for a special night out. Ambulance drivers dress in costume, three streets are blocked off, and everyone goes all out to give these special kids a rare treat.

Somehow I’m thinking of Martin Luther King, Jr., and his dream speech—like him, I dream of a world where all are equal, but my dream deals less with racial themes and more with welcoming the handicapped into our full society, appreciating and utilizing their specific talents and accommodating their differences. We are all different, each in our own way.

There’s a meme going around Facebook in various versions (here’s a more graceful version): In January, John Fetterman will be better; Mehmet Oz will still be a fraud and a huckster.

What I want from my political party

 

It’s a lovely dark and dreary, rainy morning in North Texas. My garden is soaking up steady rainfall. A perfect day for curling up with a book and taking a nap. But, alas, I have politics on my mind.

Anyone who’s read more than two words I’ve written knows that I am a proud lifelong Democrat, prone to speaking out often and loudly. My brother compares me to a dog with a bone, and he’s probably right. This morning, I’m thinking of Michelle Obama’s classic statement, “When they go low, we go high.” She was spot on with her advice. Let me count the ways they go low—I probably can think of a thousand, but that’s not where my mind is this morning.

I get at least 200 emails a day, especially now that election day is a mere two weeks away. Most of them are whining that we’re losing, begging for money, declaring disaster if I don’t send $5 or $25, reminding me that their election is the one the nation’s entire future hinges on. This morning, one screamed in boldface that President Biden had just smashed Mitch McConnell. Now personally I think McConnell is a pretty nasty man and has done a lot of smashing of others. He probably deserves whatever he got. But that’s not what I want from my party. Yes, in some ways the goal is to beat the Republicans. But there is, and should be, a far nobler goal—and that is to govern our country for the betterment of all people. Beto talks about what he will accomplish for Texas—what a refreshing change of tone.

There is so much today that Democratic candidates should be shouting from the rooftops. Did you know that President Biden has reduced the national deficit by more than any president—in just two years. Did you realize that crime, especially murder, s uniformly higher in red states than blue? (Ask the governor of Oklahoma, who just learned that lesson the hard way in a debate with his opponent; she has statistics to prove it.) Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock you know that employment is way up, unemployment down. Democrats have had lots of other victories in Biden’s two years in office, yet campaign after campaign goes on the defensive against Republican’s outrageous and untrue accusations. No, Biden didn’t cause inflation; no, Democrats didn’t open the border and say, “Ya’ll come on, now.” No, Democrats are not baby killers. No, the Democratic Party is not the party of extravagant spending, running up the national deficit (a hint: that’s Republicans with ginormous tax cuts to the rich).

The list is endless, but If you keep up with the real news you know these things. Unfortunately a lot of knee-jerk voters believe what they hear on TV and see on Facebook. I love the comment by one observer that he couldn’t believe Americans would accept a dictatorship if they could save a quarter on a gallon of gas.

I wish my party would take the high road. Stop bashing Republicans, stop accusing them (that’s their despicable game). But perhaps wiser heads know more than I do. Whereas I desperately want civility, the collegiality of Congress before Reagan, in the days of Tip O’Neil, perhaps political consultants know that chaos and drama draw attention. Democrats tend to be lower key than Republicans. Trump is of course outrageous in his flair for drama and many of hs colleagues follow. The media loves drama, so the story is too often about the Republicans. Maybe our blue candidates believe they have to compete on the turf that’s given them. If so, God Bless. But I long for a party that will go high, and an electorate who will appreciate that.

Or maybe we should go back to the days of Lincoln when it was considered unseemly for a candidate to speak publicly on his own behalf. The Lincoln/Douglas debates broke the mold, and maybe we should blame it all on them.

I just heard a touch of thunder. Time to curl up with that book.

Losing my cool!

 

My mailbox is full! It takes half my day to sort the chaff from the wheat and clean it out. My friends write me ten, twelve, fifteen times a day. I hear from Mark and Val, John and Beto, Charlie and Tim and lately Catherine in Nevada. Each one of them tells me that their race is the key to the future of our country—most of those claims comes from senatorial candidates who insist if they lose, the Senate will go red. I’m not sure how each one knows that, but I read and consider.

Nancy sends me countless texts a day, and I’m not adept at texts so I find this a problem. I also occasionally hear from Chuck and Barrack and today it was actors like Martin Sheen and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. I’m so flattered that these busy people have time to write me so often. I don’t know how they get anything else done. I certainly don’t, because I’m busy reading their emails.

Of course, occasionally I hear from Ron or Gym or Mehmet, even Don Jr., and I’m quick to find the unsubscribe button. They’re so clever that it’s sometimes hard to find. But those folks are not friends of mine. A great puzzlement: I haven’t heard from Herschel yet. I’m waiting breathlessly.

Sometimes the messages from my friends are contradictory. They are often a pessimistic bunch, and they send such dramatic messages as, “Packing it up. Going home,” or “It’s over. We’ve lost,” or “We’re out of money. Broke.” Of course we all know that’s not true, so I really wish they’d stop the dramatics. An “It’s over,” message may be almost immediately followed by, “We’re crying tears of joy.” Hard to keep up.

Most people understand that a) polls are at best good guesses, and b) two or three points is within the margin of error. Yet these emails crow over the difference of one point—above or behind. I figure they must like the drama of an uncertain life—or campaign.

I also hear from the Democratic Party or some branch, like the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee). They all beg me to renew my party membership. Here’s the thing: I’ve renewed it four times, each time with a modest donation, but that doesn’t seem to register with them.

Of course, let’s be realistic: I get these messages because from time to time, as my means permit, I send modest checks to one specific campaign or another. There’s no plan behind how I choose—I just think when someone seems really to need help, my twenty-five dollars might be well spent. I’ve recently donated to John Fetterman in Pennsylvania on that basis, and the only monthly contribution I make is to Beto because I am really passionate about getting Greg Abbott out of office. But sometimes when I make these random donations, that Blue Action central headquarters pops up with a stern warning that says, “Forbidden!” Naturally I thought it was my fault, so I followed the fine print that says if you have trouble write us here.

Their solution was that I should erase the history on my computer, something I was not eager to do. Since then, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I have decided the problem is on their end.

Don’t get me wrong: I am a lifelong Democrat, for a lot of reasons, many of which have to do with compassion and honesty and integrity. On a thread tonight extolling Ken Paxton’s virtues—really?--someone advised me to vote red. I replied that a decade or so ago, I might have considered it in select cases, but today I would never vote for a Republican, except Liz Cheney or Adam Kinzinger, because I consider them all traitors held in thrall by the former guy, and each day it becomes more clear that he is a traitor. Besides, who would vote for a party that continues to push Herschel Walker for the Senate.

My point with this silliness is that I will vote Democratic, and I will do my darndest to convince anyone within earshot of me to do the same. And I know national campaigns are complex and present amazing challenges to control digitized information, but I sure wish the Democratic Party and all its branches could organize a little better. And I wish my friends would settle for maybe one email a day. It would leave them lots of time to walk the block, knock on doors, etc.

Y’all get out and vote Blue!

 

Politics all around me

 

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think we ought to scrub our whole government and start over, perhaps with the wisdom of hindsight. There is so much disorganization, so much disinformation that it makes my head hurt. I am deluged with emails in these days leading up to the mid-terms.

Emails seen to fall into several categories. There are those frantic-sounding “Breaking News!” which often announce news that instead of breaking is at least a week old. Sometimes it’s just a twist on old news.

Then there are the appeals designed to make you think you are special. Maybe because I am outspoken on social media and have donated to various Democratic candidates across the country, I get emails telling me I am one of three chosen to speak for Tarrant County or I have been chosen for a special focus group.

Then there are emails claiming we are so close to passing this or that legislation, and won’t I contribute to help. For instance, I’ve gotten way too many telling me we’re close to passing the judiciary act, and If I’ll just send $10, $20, etc. we can get it passed. I resent the assumption that money will facilitate passage of legislation. How does that work? I understand that candidates need money to make the public aware of their candidacy, but by the time legislation is before Congress, how does money help? The issue should already be beyond advertising and public opinion. Does whatever PAC is soliciting intend to bribe legislators? Supposedly the legislation is now up to the wisdom of congressional members (don’t laugh—wisdom was the only word I could think of).

For candidates of either party, it all comes down to money, not policies. Apparently, the one who buys the most TV time and garners the most name recognition is assumed to win. The worst that can happen is to be out-raised, I don’t understand Citizens United enough to know how much of this harks back to that decision from SCOTUS. I do know that there are some candidates I hear from six, eight, ten times a day, and I’m tired of it.

If I’ve got my history right, the Lincoln/Douglas debates were ground-breaking because up until then it had been deemed unseemly for a man (no women allowed) to speak on his own behalf as a candidate. The office-seeker was supposed to sit back modestly, while others extolled his virtue. I don’t know but my instinct is not much money was involved.

I’d like to go back to a state where candidates could not accept contributions, even from individuals, let alone political action committees and corporations. In the spirit of getting money out of politics, I think lobbying should be a federal crime. Extreme, I know, but we’ve got to clean up this system somehow. Maybe if we did that, we would be ruled by an iron-fisted minority.

And then there’s social media, specifically Facebook. I make no apologies for being active on Facebook—I use it to tell people about my books, to build my reputation as an author (and, I hope, as a friend and a cook). I have renewed old friendships and made new ones that I treasure. But there are some awful people on Facebook who sling lies and insults without blinking an eye. They not only accuse without proof, but they are also often obviously uneducated (spelling and grammar are clues). To me that correlates with a lack of critical thinking and a willingness to accept what they are told. And as we are increasingly finding out, Russia has for some years had an active campaign to sow disinformation in our country and cause divisions among our people. Count that a success for them, and an abject failure for America.

Today a man wrote about the descrace [sic] that Biden is. I resisted the temptation to be snarky and tell him I’d take his opinion seriously when he learns to spell. Others tell me Biden is corrupt, the worst president ever, determined to destroy America, has done nothing while in office. If I suggest I’d welcome a calm discussion, I am told I need mental help. When another person went on about Biden doing nothing, I replied that I just wanted to ask her one question: did she get and accept a relief check from the government during quarantine. No answer.

I know, I know. I should just move on and not try to reason with unreasonable people—and many times I do that. But sometimes I just can’t resist.

Yep, we need to untangle this mess and start over.