The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863), by Currier and Ives

 

Photo credit for this post: Wikipedia

 

Yesterday, as I was going through my Reader, I inserted the following blog among “my favorites:”

http://bell-book-candle.com/2012/09/02/4-freedoms/.

 

BellBookCandle made a very useful comparison of the Republicans and the Democrats. It is a succinct list, in point form, of the 4 freedoms as viewed by each party.

 

I also read the following blog.  I like the rewording.  Obamacare becomes Obama cares.

http://teapartyslayer.com/2012/09/02/punishing-the-one-guy-on-our-side-is-just-plain-dumb/ 

 

And then we have the numerous articles written by Obamacrat: http://theobamacrat.com/2012/09/02/11029/

 

These are truly useful sites.  Would however that we could make sure voters read these posts.  They may never read them, but US citizens can make sure his or her “neighbour” goes to the Election Polls.

 

WordPress authors are supplying excellent rhetoric, but I believe that those of you who live in the United States should perhaps consider making sure one of your neighbour votes.  I’m using the singular: one, instead of the plural, because it may not be possible for one person to speak to more than one other person.  One has to be realistic.  But you could make a difference.  What if that person is not on the list of voters or needs a ride to the Election Poll, etc.

Scars from flagellation (whipping)

(Cicatrices de flagellation)  

Moreover, a thought that came to my mind about a month ago has started to make sense.  Not long ago, some persons who are now the bad apples among Republicans were slave owners.  This could help explain why they do not want to pay taxes and why their money is deposited in offshore accounts.  This could also help explain why too many jobs are shipped abroad.

These people bought and owned people, and it was not illegal to do so.  In fact, by and large, owning slaves was not even viewed as unethical.

In short, for many Republicans, the Civil War (1861–1865) may not be over.  The river runs deep…

Quebec indépendantistes

What informs my thinking at the moment is the behaviour and mindset of Quebec indépendantistes whose heroes are the patriotes of the 1836-1838 insurrections and the persons who spent a night in jail during the October Crisis of 1970 when, having said: “Just watch me” to journalists, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau used the War Measures Act.  Terrorists had kidnapped British Trade Commissioner James Cross and killed Pierre Laporte, Quebec’s Vice-Premier and Minister of Labour.

I could be wrong, but I believe the imprint of the past can be like a scar.  Last week, nuts were thrown at a black CNN camerawoman and she was called an “animal.”

The river runs deep…

Micheline Walker©

September 3rd, 2012

WordPress 

 

performers: Kathleen Battle (born August 13, 1948)

& the Boys Choir of Harlem

piece: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

conductor: Zubin Mehta (NY Philharmonic)