Mr. West and Mr. Trump

I've taken a bit of a sabbatical from writing, but I just can't stay away any longer.

Kanye West

I've recently been watching this whole Kanye and Trump thing play out, and there's much food for thought.

Firstly, Kanye West is a numbskull most of the time.  Actually, I already knew that.  What I didn't know is that, sometimes, like a blind hog finding an acorn, he sometimes hits on something worthwhile.

To be clear, even when Kanye is finding his truffle, it's shrouded in all kinds of nonsense, but, nevertheless, he did come up with a valuable pearl 'tween his teeth recently.

And here it is:

Talk to Me

Overreach

I'm so tired of hearing that everything is racist.  That everything is sexist.  It seems that the order of the day is to be extreme in all thought.  Politically, we're either very right or very left.  There's not much common ground to be had lately.  Racially, we're either black, brown, red, white, or yellow. 

Again, not much room for common ground.

I love to listen to those with opposing points of view because sometimes I can learn something.

So, I listen.  I have to tell you, though, what I hear on the national news from people of color and from women isn't always constructive.  I see much less of them trying to fix things and much more of why I'm to blame for all of the evil in the world.

Not helpful.  Not good.

I have a much different idea in mind.  How about this for an approach... Maybe we can talk with each other as humans first and genders, races, sex practices, political parties, and religions a distant second?

Now there's an idea.

Here's another idea... Let's stop trying to make every cultural norm a racial (or sexist, etc) offense.

Jingle All the Way...

This week there is a cadre of articles about Jingle Bells being racist.  Anyone who seriously thinks that the average white guy is thinking about white supremacy while he sings Jingle Bells, is dangerously deranged.

Overreach is everywhere.

Brrrr... It's Cold in the New Millenium

Or, how about the classic song "Baby It's Cold Outside?"  I've always loved this duet.  The harmonies are just wonderful.  That's what attracted me to it in the first place.  Then, I listened to the lyrics.  It's just so real.  The guy is pressing for the girl to stay.  The girl is giving the excuses about why she shouldn't.  However, notice one thing: She doesn't leave.  Why?  Because this is the dance of enticement that men and women do when there's attraction.  It's a story as old as male-ness and female-ness.  And it's simply a wonderful part of what it means to be a human.

If you listen to this song and aren't reminded of what it means to be a woman or a man, then you have allowed political correctness to neuter you.

Racism Abounds

Melania Trump

Just when I think that America is in trouble, I see headlines that tell me that everything will be alright.  I am comforted to know that there are proud Americans who are willing and able to stand against the tyranny of people like me.

And probably you, too.

Racist Brainwashing

Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

Melania Trump, sent a few books to some schools around the country.  She says that she was simply trying to promote literacy.

What a vanilla cover story!  Seriously, who can take the Trumps ... uh ... seriously.

As any objective observer can see, this is plainly subversive.

Liz Phipps Soeiro

One librarian in particular, Liz Phipps Soeiro, in Cambridge, Massachusetts saw through the Trump's plot and so refused to have the books in her library.

You see, what Liz had discovered is that Mel chose books which were loaded with racist material.  It's all very distasteful and offensive. 

    Brains are scrubbed, Brains are washed.
    All free thinking is quashed, quashed, quashed.

I hate subversion.

Really, though, I should've known that Melly would send something terrible to a bunch of impressionable kids.

The Trumps are like that; just read the papers.  It's all there.

Dr. Seuss with His Racist Goons

For completeness sake, I should mention that the offending author was none other than Dr. Seuss.

America's Forgotten Non-Binaries

I have to tell you that living in America today can be a confusing experience.  Maybe not for you, but, for me, it sometimes is.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a satirical post regarding the bathroom situation vis-a-vis the transgender controversy (Remodeling America's Bathrooms).  The whole thing is so ludicrous that satire is the only response I have for it.  I guess what confuses me is that there are those who take this whole thing so seriously.

I reckon I'm a man out of place in time.  1860 anyone?

If it weren't so deadly serious, it would actually be humorous.  I can easily imagine, in the not too distant past, comics writing whole routines on the subject.  The jokes would be funny because they would be so outrageous.  Today, however, those would-be jokes are reality, not the fevered imaginings of the comic.

You probably think I'm joking about this.  Sadly, no.

In Minnesota, there is a proposal by the School Safety Technical Assistance Council (who makes up names like this?) to help the plight of transgender students.  Proposals include dismissing all gender-based pronouns.  No more he, she, him, or her.  No more boys and girls, instead, we must say "students" or "scholars."

Homecoming King or Queen?  Not on your life.  Now we hail the "Prom Ambassadors."  But let's give credit where it's due: they are not completely inflexible.  They do make provision for the phrase "Homecoming Royalty."

As an aside, I would have thought that the word "Royalty" would have been banned because it suggests that some student scholars are better than others.  On the other hand, maybe everyone who attends the prom gets a participation trophy, so the zero-sum game is maintained.  I'm just not sure what the rules are anymore.

The extra bathrooms go without saying.  Any student who is uncomfortable sharing a bathroom with a transgender student is welcome to go use the single-user bathroom.  Again, I'm confused.  Why doesn't the transgender "scholar" go use the single user bathroom?  Surely there are fewer transgender scholars, right?

There's more, but I'm getting sick of talking about this.

Let's go to the nation's capitol.  In Washington, D.C., there is a new box to check on the driver's license application.  You may check "male," "female," or "X."

I don't know what an "X" is.  But, get this, they call it "non-binary."

So, Washington, D.C. has a non-binary option on their driver's license application.

Hooray.  It's a topic that has haunted Americans for generations.  Holy cow, have we gone collectively insane?

It would be hard to prove otherwise, I suppose.

It's days like these that really do make me feel like a curmudgeon.  I used to joke about being an old grouch, but it's becoming a reality.

Kind of like transgender bathroom privileges.

It's just not that funny anymore.

TheCurmudgeon

p.s.  I'm BINARY, dammit.

American Vitriol

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA)

I didn't really want to talk more about the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) again, but, in light of the comments made over the past two weeks, I feel compelled to do so.  See America the Beautiful for my first post on this subject.

On the plus side, we have seen genuine outpourings of love and compassion expressed across all political spectra.  It's so pleasant to see political enemies express heartfelt sadness and support in the wake of such tragedy.  It's how families are supposed to act; it's how Americans are supposed to act.

On the other hand, there are political enemies who haven't been acting like proper siblings.

Here are some examples:

Representative  Keith Ellison (D-MN) claims that the president has created a "culture of incivility" which allows crazed individuals to "go off the rails."

"What I think is when the president says ‘punch them in the face,' ‘carry them out in a stretcher,' he creates a culture of incivility which sort of lets anybody who's loosely hinged to reality just sort of go off the rails."

America the Beautiful

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-LA

I've been thinking a bit about the shootings in Alexandria, VA last week.  The attack wounded Congressman Steve Scalise (R-LA) and several others. Capitol Police officers David Bailey and Crystal Griner, who were present as part of Scalise's security detail, responded with a counter-attack and killed the shooter.  Both were wounded in the process.  Witnesses believe that they saved lives by their quick and decisive action.

That's the bare-bones story.  But it leaves us with much to think about regarding the divisiveness present in America these days.

Have we really reached a point in America in which we cannot disagree without physical violence?

The more I think of this particular shooting, the sicker I get.  The angrier I become.

This shooting does not represent the America I know and love.

Anyone who thinks it does, is deranged.

The shock of this outrage lasted but a few minutes in some quarters, if it even existed at all.  Within days, while he was still unconscious, Scalise's political detractors said that his shooting was "self-inflicted to some degree"

Why was it self-inflicted?

Because of his politics, of course.

Huh?

Lucky Man

I'm feeling a bit sentimental this morning, so, for just a few minutes, I'll shed my curmudgeonly nature.

A couple of days ago, my daughter, Becky, called and asked if I'd like to meet her for lunch.  As she lives 2-3 hours away, it was something of a sacrifice for her.  Of course, I said yes.  What man in his right mind turns down lunch with a beautiful, smart, witty, and talented daughter?  Right?

As we were standing in the restaurant waiting to be seated, I glanced up and my son was standing next to us.  He lives 15 hours away (in Denver, CO) and was in town for business.  I didn't know he was in town, so I was shocked to see him.

Wow.  Lunch with two of my three kids.  And it was their idea!  That's what I've been thinking about.  They wanted to spend time with their old man.  Naturally, they expected me to pay, so it could be that they just wanted a free meal, but I'll choose not to dwell upon that for the time being.  It would be too curmudgeonly to do so.

As if their mere presence wasn't enough, Becky came bearing gifts for a combo Father's Day/Birthday.  She gave me the nicest photo of her and me from her wedding 5 months ago.  I love photos from my kids.  Every one is always displayed proudly.

In addition to the photograph, she gave me a six-pack of TurboDog, some coffee, and some espresso candy.  She knows her dad!

Also, her wit was on full display with the Father's Day card she choose.  Here's the front:



And here's the inside:

I'm still laughing about it.  When she was little, I used to say that she was snarky.  Methinks that she's not outgrown it.