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TO A DARK CHRISTMAS AND AN UNHAPPY NEW YEAR

People marched a few times to show their disapproval for he who had become their president.  People felt happiness for the good numbers that showed up to chant and wave placards.  People called their representatives and thought that those calls we somehow the cause of moves to end the Affordable Care Act failing.  They thought there was power in petitions.  They heaped praise on the likes of John McCain, Lisa Murkowsk, Susan Collins, Jeff Flake for seeming to do the right thing.  There was even hope generated by Trump’s meeting with Chuck and Nancy.

Deception and self-deception.  Nothing good has come our way since the inauguration and many a terribly bad thing has been done to us.  There is no good reason for joy and there is no good reason to celebrate.

We should mark this season with the sorrow we should be feeling for what has been lost.  We should be taking down the festival lights, replacing them with symbols of the darkness that has come over this land.  Strip the trees of colorful ornaments and replace them with symbols of degradation and defeat, symbols that will remind us of how far we have fallen.

We have lost a great deal.  We have lost our democracy and we have lost our dignity.  Most of us are now living under the control a small group of very powerful people who hold power because they have bought and sold us.  They have stolen our wealth and they have destroyed our dignity and we, without dignity or wealth pander to them for the little bits they are willing to dole out to keep us at bay.  We work for their system, a system designed to make them wealthy by our work.

IF WE WISH TO RECOVER WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS, THE POWER TO GOVERN, THE POWER TO BUILD A SYSTEM THAT IS GOOD FOR THE WHOLE, THAT INSURES PROSPERITY FOR ALL, THEN WE NEED TO THINK OF HOW WE ARE GOING TO GO ABOUT BREAKING THE SYSTEM THAT WORKS AGAINST US, THAT WORKS TO FORCE US TO WORK FOR THEM AND NOT THE COMMON GOOD.

I PROPOSE THAT WE BOYCOTT CHRISTMAS, THAT WE CEASE OUR FEEDING OF THE SYSTEM, THAT WE ACCEPT THE HARDSHIP THAT MAY COME OF SUCH ACTION, THE AVOIDANCE OF WHICH HAS PERPETUATED OUR MISERY WHILE MAKING US FEEL AS THOUGH WE ARE REALLY FEELING GOOD.  WE HAVE PURCHASED THE THINGS THEY SELL US TO KEEP OURSELVES HAPPY AND THAT SENSE OF HAPPINESS HAS KEPT US FROM DOING WHAT IS NECESSARY TO END OUR MISERY.

ON CHRISTMAS DAY AND ON NEW YEARS EVE TURN THE CELEBRATIONS INTO GATHERINGS WHERE A TRULY BRIGHT FUTURE IS DISCUSSED.  USE THE TIME TO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER ABOUT WHAT IS WRONG AND HOW THINGS CAN BE MADE RIGHT.  ADMIT TO THE DARKNESS, LOOK INTO IT AND TALK ABOUT HOW IT IS THAT WE HAVE ALLOWED SUCH GLOOM TO OVERTAKE US.

AND THEN BEGIN THE PROCESS OF RESTORING JOY, CONSIDERING WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO MAKE A SOCIETY THAT IS WORTHY OF CELEBRATION, A SOCIETY THAT IS KIND AND HUMANE, MORALLY UPRIGHT IN THE PROPER WAY, FOR THE PEOPLE AND THEIR WELFARE, FOR A FUTURE IN WHICH ALL WORK IS DONE FOR THE SAKE OF MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE.

By lafered

Retired professor of education concerned with thoughtfulness

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