Millions of people in some 1,800 marches across America on Saturday, and dozens of countries around the world, displayed extreme negatives regarding the US Prez, whose $45MM birthday parade was a badly attended (and embarrassing) event. About 1/3 of that was budgeted for repairing those DC roads the tanks will tear up during a military hoo-hah usually done for dictators.
I told a number of people at Charlotte event that I never did anything related to Vietnam protests, which were often MASSIVE, vocal, strongly purposeful events long before today’s social media could get the necessary word out by posting on multiple sites. A 50th class reunion in September is a huge counterpoint to knowing ‘Nam went down in a matter of weeks the Spring of my senior year.
Having stated often how glad I was to not be involved in that meat-grinder, its a 100% Truth that, aside from our incredibly bloody Civil War, NOW is the most divisive time in our nation’s history.
I’m not the only person who cheered about trump’s VERY badly attended birthday-celebration for ‘US Army’s 250th Anniversary’ Saturday. If those people who support djt’s chaotic second term at the helm thought he owned the libs, the Reality of ‘Eat (excrement), 50 billion flies can’t be wrong’ was evident on a world-wide stage. GShork 6/16/25
Will another 1000-1200 words make a difference?
Attempting to write something strong-meaningful about overall picture probably won’t fly as high and well as Thomas Paine’s ‘Common Sense’ of 1776 in swaying public opinion, and there are plenty of columnists and pundits who will have opinions and better platforms to present their views to a larger audience. I’ll use bullets (no ballot necessary, the people have definitely spoken) for a Monday review on non-attendance in DC.
There will probably be a number of fellow grads I won’t be chatting with in September, but since we haven’t communicated much since HS, its not going to affect my sleeping habits. Those who identified me as ‘one of those journalism guys’ at previous reunions, the only piece I regret from back then was dissing the majorettes, because KK turned into a dynamic Woman vs. just *really* cute girl junior year. NOW is a lot more serious deal, definitely no regrets on stating my POV.
- Kent State (5/4/1970, 4 dead, 9 wounded) was my first clue our government could actually do something like shoot unarmed protestors. Most consider it a tragic situation, jittery young Ohio National Guard troops opening fire, but there’s NO mistaking how serious the current administration is about trying to control what We the People are allowed to say or do, at least according to trump & his Minions. I’m not the only #BoomerwithAttitude who recalls Chicago cops working their fucking night-sticks, but TV made us aware of black people being beaten and more long before that. But I didn’t see that so much in Schenectady, NY.
- Bobby Kennedy invoking his own brothers assassination FOR THE ONLY TIME – and Indianapolis was the only city that wasn’t ablaze in America the night of ML King’s death. THAT’S deserved rioting, not just protest.
- The direct repudiation/regular bitch-slapping (apologies for a non-gender specific but accurate phrase) of long time American belief in principles of posse comitatus https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/posse-comitatus-act-explained (bans using military for police actions) and habeas corpus -a judicial order forcing law enforcement authorities to produce a prisoner they are holding, and to justify a prisoner’s continued confinement – is beyond just disturbing. Lady Liberty lies propped against an LA curb, nicked repeatedly by rubber bullets and probably tear-gassed, just five months into this administration.
- ‘We’ DID fix a quantity of negatives about environment and civil-womens-gay rights back then, at least paid enough attention to it to recognize what losing those advances would mean today. Could changes have happened any more organically, without LOTS of effort on legal front by many, many people over many, many years? Save the freaking eagles worked. Gal Gadot (as Wonder Woman) beating Ares, and ending WWI by breaking his hold on the minds of German military isn’t on the menu with trumpies.
- RULE OF LAW – Can America trust the judiciary to hold strong against a relentless tide of malfeasance while providing full immunity? A common sign Saturday was ‘No faux (fake) king way.’ Un-Constitutional doesn’t seem to carry as much weight, if ANY, with ‘those people.’ Its in black and white about ‘born here = Citizen,’ and right to be told charges and allowed to defend oneself. People – including those who voted for trump and/or participated in infamous, watched by the WORLD ‘Capital tour group’ in January, 2021 – only now seem to recognize what they’re losing after an espouso is picked up going to work, or their job is axed by DOGE.
- Is a person who shoots a Minnesota State senator and wife, murdering two and seriously wounding two others, a throwback to assassinations of political figures like Malcolm X, the Kennedys and M.L. King, Jr. in Sixties? We *better* not hope so, not when anyone can get a military-grade weapon like an AR-15 that spits death at an unholy rate sent through the mail. Forget Reacher having a discussion with gun store owner about getting pistols and ammo before 3-day ‘cooling off’ period because he knows some ways around regulations.
- NATIONAL DEBT – Repugnants in Congress are VERY willing to gut every social program to pay for a multi-trillion dollar tax break for billionaires, knowing without any doubt it will put an already staggering debt ($36T) into non-Elon/SpaceX orbit. trump *immediately* tanked an envy-of-the-world economy he inherited from Biden. Does anyone doubt he told BBC (billionaire boys club) members when to get in-out of market? I don’t have any kids, but everyone else’s, know even worse times are coming regarding repayment and budget tradeoffs`.
- Book banning, tariffs randomly slapped down against allies and (except Russia) others without reason, attempting to reverse any-all vestiges of DEI by wiping out even the mention of Enola Gay – which was name of bomber that dropped historic 1st ever nuke on Hiroshima – because of that last part of its name. NO taking gifts of value from other countries, and a prez who decides it doesn’t apply to him because ‘I’d have to be crazy not to accept something (as over the top) as a jumbo jet,’ and the illegal creation of a currency (Bitcoin-ish) anyone can buy without signaling they are gaining influence through BIG TIME direct bribes to him and family, is a constant drum beat.
Sorry, have to get back to Real Writing
Okay, not all of this was Saturday, but the WORLD *is* watching US and ‘cuz I’m a word guy, I needed to get it off my chest. It took a minimal amount of time for the end of Vietnam War – as soon as North knew US bombers wouldn’t be doing anything to slow their roll, they mopped up South Vietnam in weeks. As first war USA lost, its affected how this country went about things for decades, and today, EVERYONE truly wonders how ‘we’ can be trusted in almost any venue or for any reason.
Europe is moving on with necessary WHO and NATO-related operations (ie. Ukraine), long-time BFF Canada has its elbows up in the corners about little brother attitudes and trump’s cretin-ish musings of 51st state possibilities, and if the Orange One believing Greenland and the Panama Canal Zone can be taken militarily, he’s apparently no smarter than Putin about biting off more than he can chew. Thinking USA will escape devastation two previous world wars brought on everyone else isn’t about thought leadership or best practices, its ludicrous.
We the People has arrived at a bottom line about democracy. Picard’s “Here and no further!” for any Trekkies, or substitute ‘trumpies’ into a one-liner from Vietnam-era ‘Platoon,’ “Eff’n Cong are comin’, and they ain’t stoppin’ for shit!’ is legit too.
Ed. Note, 6/23/25 Freaking great, now he’s bombed Iran without, ‘doesn’t need,’ Congressional approval.
‘This isn’t how I remember things being’ is a common, wistful thought on lips of many #BoomerswithAttitude like myself. I recently put what is described as a premium graduation card-puzzle on Etsy (19″x13″, 15 pcs., $8.25 + shipping), because my microeconomy as a relative peasant non-billionaire class BETTER have an alt gig! When that ever-lovin’ 3rd rail, Social Security – which is NOT AN ENTITLEMENT, I PAID INTO IT SINCE AGE 16, OUT OF $1.65/hr. MCDONALDS PAYCHECK – is threatened right in front of us? Bullshit on ‘Better.’
Medicaid cuts and starving kids, loss of healthcare? Everything, everywhere, all at once? Holy crap!
‘Welcome to the Real World’ is an intentionally darker duotone piece, ‘WTRW’ was originally meant as a jaded look at employment situation, with the many inconveniences and crazy things grads et al face in 2025, We the People has arrived at a bottom line about democracy. Picard’s “Here and no further!” for any Trekkies, or sub ‘trumpies’ into a one-liner from Vietnam-era ‘Platoon,’ “Eff’n Cong are coming, and they ain’t stoppin’ for shit!’ is legit too.
Damn! That first election post-Watergate seems like a million years ago, when top Repubs like Goldwater told Nixon, “You gotta go!” because he’d lost the trust of the nation. Nixon had too much respect for the office to try staying, while trump has A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y zero shame about demeaning office, and by the crudest example of Repub enablement, stuck it out legally through two impeachments.
Telling others Saturday that I didn’t attend gatherings about Vietnam, the HUGE loss of time, treasure, and lives it historically represents, an ultimate divisiveness it produced back then, I also said, BUT I’M HERE NOW. How about *you*?
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