ninety candles

Chaos, the state of a nation devolved into hatred, gun violence, political assassination. Murder as a warped political act: terrible sadness. What happened to America? 9/11 happened creating raging hatred in response to hatred from the other side. The 2016 presidential campaign happened, unleashing long-suppressed unspeakable prejudices, fears; fanning resentment and hatred for division as a strategy to herd people into political camps; an open season of racism, bigotry, and of rights over responsibilities and human decency. 

A class war of sorts: nobody wants people who are different rising above them in power, status, wealth, control. An assertion of religious and moral certitude in which everyone must be forced into conformance with the convictions of the group in power; religion bigotry and the brutal suppression it brings is not new in human history, has been common in Christendom, is common in Islam; we thought we had left that kind of theocracy behind us but it is fast returning.

No empire or nation lasts forever. We may have been the best experiment since ancient Athens, we've brought it down ourselves by empowering fears of those who are different coming in and challenging our culture. People don't mix well, and a political machine has been created to make the most of that. America is clarifying into irreconcilable battle camps. Let me off at the next bus stop.

From my point of view, it's a ripe Time to be turning ninety and counting. Others are storing up weapons and ammunition, I am storing up birthday cake.

T89&c