Politics As (Un)Usual

"Have you ever heard of Broad City?" my youngest son, J, asked me yesterday. "It's trending on Twitter."

I had never heard of Broad City and asked J what it was and why it was trending. Apparently, it's a show on Comedy Central. It was announced that during Broad City's new season, Donald Trump's name will be treated as an obscenity, bleeping it whenever his name comes up.

I immediately loved this. I've never been a Trump fan, especially since he decided to enter politics, and most especially since he won the presidential election. I've written about my love (or, rather, lack thereof) of Trump in several posts here ("It's Been an Atrocious Election Year..." , "Politics Make Me Sick", and "Donald Trump as What?", for starters).

If, after reading those posts, there's any doubt about how I feel about our current regime (oops, president), you might need to reread the posts. In her book Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, one of my favorite writers, Anne Lamott, wrote, "I have had it with (George W.) Bush." And I am so over Trump. I also love that Stephen King was known to call Trump "he-who-shall-not-be-named" on Twitter (well before he was blocked by the tweeter-in-chief). Another one of my favorite writers, who is one of my friends on Facebook and who I won't "out" here without her permission, has taken to calling t.i.c "baby man." It fits.

All this is leading up to today's news: "Congressman Targeted: Rep. Scalise, Others Shot at Baseball Field". According to NBC, "House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was standing at second base during a congressional baseball practice when a gunman opened fire and hit him in the left hip, witnesses said."

The New York Times reported that the lone gunman opened fire on Republican members of the congressional baseball team because he "was reportedly distraught over President Trump’s election" ("Steve Scalise Among 4 Shot at Baseball Field; Suspect Is Dead".)

No matter how angry (or "distraught") one is over something, this is not an acceptable way of handling that anger. The only reason to resort to such means is if someone is directly threatening you, for family/loved ones, or those around you with certain death. Any other reason is unacceptable. Protest. Write. Use legal means. This could include impeachment proceedings. But damn, not violence!

I still don't like the direction the current regime is headed in, the craziness and unethical way those in power are treating the poor and working class. It's basically class-warfare. But if we're going to fight back, we've got to do it without violence.

Otherwise, we're no better off than hate-mongers who try to destroy the country for all of us.