We're not whining!

First, I state my regret for not posting my opinion on the election, Hilary, and Trump, back in October as I had intended to. Given the polls, I thought it wasn't all that important for me to preach to my small choir. But I see now how wrong that was. It's important to say what you believe in, so here I'm putting it out on the internet's porch to see what cats lick it up.

I've heard a lot of people describe the Democrats' and Hilary supporters of "whining" and feeling "bitter" that our gal didn't win. Maybe there is some of that. But for many, if not most, it's more of an expression of fear. Fear of losing the rights and privileges that were fought for for so long and we're still fighting for.

This may be very difficult for a straight white male to understand, since these rights and privileges I'm talking about you've enjoyed since 1776. The only significant new right granted to white men that I know of is the right to vote at age 18, and you may not get too fired up about that without a draft (if I understand correctly, the main controversy during the Vietnam conflict was that men were being drafted at age 18 but couldn't vote until 21...).

So let me put it in other terms for you. You're familiar with the religious order of the Shakers, right? Known for their simple living, architecture, furniture, appliances (the modern broom was invented by them!), and equality of the sexes, and (gulp) celibacy. So the celibacy bit drove them basically into extinction, but let's imagine a world in which it didn't: more people joined up in support of the zero-growth population movement or whatever. And let's say they cleverly jerrymandered the electoral districts to win elections despite being a political minority. And let's say a Shaker zealot was elected as leader.

Now do you understand our fear? That this zealot may try to impose equality of the sexes and celibacy on you. And you don't want that! And just when you think, "well, let's go in with an open mind," the first actions the President-elect takes are to appoint an anti-your religion person to a key post. And then suggests a Supreme Court Justice nominee who has publicly stated that it should be illegal for you to have sex in your own home to honor the Shaker celibacy. That this President-elect was going to remove rights and privileges that you value...and in short, to impose their views on you and make you conform to their way of life.

That's exactly what is happening with Trump right now. The appointment of the white-supremacist and anti-Semitic Bannon and the suggestion to appoint the anti-gay Pryor (who believe gays should be jailed for having sex in their own homes) have confirmed our worst fears. So for women, minorities—blacks especially, gays, and people who love any of them, or are married to them, or have biracial children, or have gay relatives or friends, etc.etc. etc., the outcome of the election is more than just a "bummer." It's an attack on our fought-for civil liberties.

Maybe you didn't understand that when you voted for Trump. Or maybe you live in a part of the country that needs work, and you simply want a job and food on your table. I get it, I forgive you. But in the coming months, if you believe in equality, then we'll need you. We'll need your support against the decisions and policies and policy-makers who seek to remove the rights of your friends and neighbors.

Black Lives Matter

All 14 significant black characters in 1970s DC Comics (ish). Who am I missing?

I don't have anything really new to add to the discussion, but I can't delay saying it any further: black lives matter.

I've always thought it, but one bit I read along the way summed it up saying, "it's no longer good enough to not be a racist, you need to declare you believe black lives matter."

My thoughts are pretty much in agreement with John Halstead's as stated on the Huffington Post a few months back. The only thing I'd add is, politically correct labels are tricky. Maybe you heard from the black community while you were growing up that "African American" was more respectful...and maybe now you still can't muster it to say "black."

I've heard often the argument that on a personal level some people feel that they're now losing out on what should be theirs or their children's because jobs, spots at top colleges, are going to less qualified people for the sake of diversity. Maybe that's true, and maybe it isn't. One of my favorite critiques of Gwenyth Paltrow (whom I adore, actually), described her success along the lines of "it's easy to score a run if you start out on third base." Similarly, if you are denied your run from third base, for the sake of someone on first—but that person had to sacrifice a meal to buy their uniform, protest their way into the game, and widdle their own bat, who is more qualified after all?

All this I say, thinking of me, which is what I do best. I have achieved an awful lot for myself, growing up squarely lower-middle class. I attended mediocre public schools, and had no family connections. But still, my parents made sure I had they best they could give, including the uniform and the bat, and of course, I had open admittance to the game. Growing up, they had less than they gave me. And their parents had less. My grandmother was essentially orphaned by age 10 and worked her way through high school with two jobs. You too may think back of your family's historic hardships thinking you deserve certain things.

But the reality it, if we keep tracing our roots back, pretty much all whites, latinos, Asians came to this country on their on free will--and had the means to do so. Blacks, on their other hand, did not. Sold off from their homes as property, and in many if not most cases treated worse than pets. Pretty much the only group of people treated as badly (though in different ways) have been Native Americans.

So please, if you can't say "black lives matter," I simply ask that you ask yourself why you can't. Challenge yourself and your logic. Think of more than just yourself. And talk about it. This country is on a destructive path, and it's up to us to change.

  

We're in a drought!—conserve

Jay Scott Pike, known for his "Good Girl Art", created "Dolphin" for DC Comics in 1968.

If you're a native New Englander like me, you're probably not used to droughts or conserving water. New England tends to be pretty naturally ample in that regard...no crazy diversions from rivers hundreds of miles away or anything. The reservoirs just fill up. Clearly, I have not researched this.

But here we are in a drought now, and no judgements about you or your water use, but it's time to conserve as many towns are at dangerously low water levels.

Here are a few things you can do that will make a big difference:

1) Don't water your lawn or wash your car. This is an easy one for my city-dwelling friends who neither have a lawn nor own a car. But for those of you who don't, give it a rest. I still see people at the car washes. I want to picket!

2) Turn the water off while you brush your teeth. I think most people do this already, but there it is.

3) Don't use your garbage disposal. They're the worst. You take potable water, and ruin it by creating a garbage puree just so you don't have to scrape your plate into the garbage.

4) Shower European style. If you've stayed with friends or AirBnB in Europe, you know the hot water tanks don't hold much. So one rinses down, turns the water off, then lathers up, then water back on to rinse. And, quickly.

5) Shower less. You probably don't need to shower daily, or the 2-3x daily you might be showering. Read this article by TIME magazine if you don't believe me. It wasn't all that long ago that most people didn't shower daily. Try going retro.

Again, no judgements, but do what you can. Myself, I've done #s 1-3 for years, and started #4 during this drought. I'm not up to #5 yet.

Good luck!