Truth, justice, and the American Way

There are a lot of bad things going on in this country. In all too many instances, our government "of the people" is actually government "of the rich people and rich corporations" as the super-rich have bought and paid for the politicians who run the government. We have become an oligarchy of the rich and this is fully sanctioned by the Supreme Court which is supposed to uphold the Constitution and support our individual rights. The Roberts Court, though, is simply an extension of the oligarchy.

Moreover, in many states, the oligarchs are attempting to steal the presidential election by preemptively removing from the rolls of eligible voters Democrats and minority voters who presumably would not be voting for their preferred candidate. They claim widespread voter fraud, but the only noticeable fraud is that perpetrated by these states in trying to deny their citizens their rights.

These are examples to make any American who loves this country and what it has stood for in the past gnash his/her teeth and pull out any hair that he/she may have left. While there may be things that we can do in the long run to stop the infringement of our rights and to stop our country from turning into the Banana Republic that it seems to be on the road to becoming, it will be a very long fight, because our enemies are too well-funded and too powerful to overcome easily. All we have on our side is numbers. And right.

It is a daunting and discouraging prospect. Wouldn't it be nice if there were something that we could do NOW that would help to right a wrong and would strike a blow for truth, justice, and the American Way? As it happens, there is!

The Major League Baseball All-Star Game is coming up in about a month and there are two very worthy candidates who deserve to represent their team in that game. The team is chosen, though, by votes of the fans and presently these two candidates are lagging behind in the voting because, apparently, their lazy fans can't be bothered to get off their duffs and cast a ballot! But actually, they don't even have to get off their duffs. They can vote via the Internet and each voter is allowed to vote 25 times for their favorite player(s). Of course, if you are at the ball park, you can pick up as many paper ballots as you want, mark them and cast them. This is one instance in which it is perfectly legal to vote "early and often" and no one will accuse you of voter fraud.

So, if you have not yet cast your All-Star ballot, here are two candidates for your consideration:

Jose Altuve, second baseman for the Houston Astros

Jose leads all second basemen in the league in batting average. He's currently batting .326. He is second in runs scored and sixth in RBIs. That RBI ranking is related to his place in the batting order which is usually near the top, so he doesn't necessarily get a chance to bat in many runs, but he has over 70 hits for the season which is also among the league leaders. His last hit was his fourth home run of the year, which for a little guy (5'5") is not too shabby at all. Altuve also leads all second basemen in stolen bases with 10 for the season.

Jed Lowrie, shortstop for the Houston Astros:

Jose Altuve's double play partner in the middle of the diamond is shortstop Jed Lowrie, and they are a slick fielding duo. Jed is on the small side as well, a slender guy who looks more like an accountant or a computer nerd than a ball player. Looks can be deceiving though because he leads all shortstops in the league in home runs with twelve. He is also fourth among shortstops in the league in RBIs.

Both of these young guys are having outstanding years, but fans tend to vote for older established players who've been around for awhile and probably have been to several All-Star Games before. This is an injustice! The best player at the position should be the one to go to the game. And this is an injustice which you can help correct TODAY! Go to the MLB website and vote for Altuve and Lowrie. They'll make you proud you did when game day rolls around.

Poetry Sunday: Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver

How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no...

Poetry Sunday: Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney

My mother was a farm wife and a prodigious canner. She canned fruit and vegetables from the garden, even occasionally meat. But the best thing that she canned, in my opinion, was blackberry jam. Even as I type those words my mouth waters! Of course, before she could make that jam, somebody had to pick the blackberries. And that somebody was quite often named Dorothy. I think Seamus Heaney might have spent some time among the briars plucking those delicious black fruits as well, so he would have known that "Once off the bush the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour." They don't keep; you have to get that jam made in a hurry! Blackberry-Picking by Seamus Heaney Late August, given heavy rain and sun For a full week, the blackberries would ripen. At first, just one, a glossy purple clot Among others, red, green, hard as a knot. You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust ...

Poetry Sunday: Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman

You probably remember poet Amanda Gorman from her appearance at the inauguration of President Biden. She read her poem "The Hill We Climb" on that occasion. After the senseless slaughter in Uvalde this week, she was inspired to write another poem which was published in The New York Times. It seemed perfect for the occasion and so I stole it in order to feature it here, just in case you didn't get a chance to read it in the Times . Hymn for the Hurting by Amanda Gorman Everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed and strange, Minds made muddied and mute. We carry tragedy, terrifying and true. And yet none of it is new; We knew it as home, As horror, As heritage. Even our children Cannot be children, Cannot be. Everything hurts. It’s a hard time to be alive, And even harder to stay that way. We’re burdened to live out these days, While at the same time, blessed to outlive them. This alarm is how we know We must be altered — That we must differ or die, That we must triumph or try. ...

The Nature of Things

Search This Blog