Today

I am, quite frankly, disgusted at the state of our country right now. I am even more flabbergasted that people who are intelligent, kind, and well-meaning are wandering back into the circle of history we have already walked, fought so vehemently against, emerged victorious but bloodied from, and grown from. Our growth is not just being stunted but smothered and stomped violently into the ground. 

I sit on my bed watching several 100 to maybe a 1000 people harass police lines in LA over ICE coming in to take "illegals." I'm sorry, but people are not 'illegal.' A person is not 'illegal.' This bothers me to no end! Especially here in "Mormon" country, where it is always "hate the sin but love the sinner." Okay, okay... how about "hate the illegality, but love the illegal"? Hmmm? What happened to "Love thy neighbor?" 

It is infuriating! What about the illegality of the companies that hire these immigrants for less than LEGAL wages?? And bring them here for just that purpose? Who is making these people pay for their illegal act? 

I answer my phone, hang up. I need to watch my grandkids because my son has been called in to go stand the line for protests in SLC. 

Please don't hurt my son. He is only doing the job he loves. He will protect you regardless of your status, your skin color, or the language you speak. His best friends are brown. 

I sit on my bed and watch the news (flipping to various channels) as our scientific communities are dismantled. You know, the ones that help find cures for cancer, and alzheimers, and work on experimental medicines for rare disorders and diseases that affect...wait, you don't know anyone with a rare disorder or disease? Are you sure? Hmm, well, my Grandson has one. Tag - you do now. 

You know what else will affect my family? The dismantling of the programs that are going to help him. His physical therapies, the programs for the blind and deaf (he is both, by the way), finding child care for a toddler with his conditions, because both of his parents have to work to afford healthcare that doesn't cover all of the needs he has - and did I mention he has a twin brother? Not to worry, his brother is "normal" but hey, what toddler needs any other healthcare or childcare or clothing or....

His Mother's job is working for a non-profit, which does what? Oh, yes, Cancer research. The research that government funding and grant money have started disappearing for. She says that the docs are concerned. The fundraising crew is working overtime. But you can only squeeze so much blood from a turnip. 

I sit on my bed and wonder where Congress is. Where is the judiciary? Where are the checks and balances? Why is nothing balancing? 

I sit on my bed and wonder why my duly elected representative here in Layton, when he posts and responds to things on "X," sounds like cat-fighting high school girls, sticking their toungues out at each other, making pouty lips, and using their best recall instead of actually thinking and coming up with original thought and doing something about the problem. 

I sit on my bed and read about hate, and genocide, and quiet whitewashing, and silent takeover...

And then, I stand up....