Untracked ground

I woke around the usual 5am today, turned on MTPR, half-listened and slept, as usual, until almost 7.  At 8, I took this picture, looking south from the front porch.

It's just the usual, sunrise over the Rockies. With the end of DST this weekend, this will be earlier, it'll be dark by 4pm. 

What's going to happen in the week, weeks, months and beyond my friends?

We are divided in a way we don't have experience with. If we had accurate records and such back to the time we rebelled from the British, we might have a clue, perhaps not accurate. But there were almost the same number who wanted to stay a British colony than wanted independence. 

As a nation, we've seldom been as divided, politically and socially, as we are now. 

I'll do an assumption here: We are all 'good people'. We are reasonable, rational, and willing to adhere to the idea of 'live and let live'. It's what we've survived by, yes? No, I don't care for your taste in pets, spouses, Supreme Court judges, but we can still live in the same neighborhood, yes?

That idea seems gone. We now have people we, we've known for years, we cannot talk to  because of politics, because they support trump or hillary. It's not preference that we march to, it's hate. 

We have abandoned the idea of democracy. 

Look at the 'surrogates', the popular term, for people speaking for the two candidates. Do they ever, ever, suggest that they can compromise, maybe give a little, maybe come to terms? No. It's our way, or the highway.  Any notion that the other candidate may have some legitimacy, if for no other reason than seemingly millions agree, carries no weight.  

As most of you know, I'm a liberal, capital "L". But like all of you, we all are fucked, no matter who is elected. The other side will not flinch from saying it was a cheated election, and the new president is not legit. If Hillary, Donald, whomever it is, we're fucked. We dislike each other so, so very much. So much...... 

We won't come together. The times of compromise are passed. Nice knowin' ya'. You won't go along with every  bit of my proposal for last term abortion? Get off the bus. 

You won't go along with every bit of my bill that will let everyone in Amerika that want's a handgun to have on?, get off my bus.

Turns out it's a small bus, and has no room for any  conflicted people. 

So I'm gonna say vote. For the one I think can perhaps hold the country together, if not progress. Already have, in fact. 

I don't envy whoever wins. I think our belief that Obama could perhaps bring us together racially, across the divide, was misguided.  All it did is loosen the reins on the horses of those who who wanted to say that a nigger can't be president, it's impossible. And he was tolerant, even handed with those that held up the signs "Nigger!" outside his speeches, the other things no other president has had to endure. All that did was let the apparent millions of us that feel that way even freer to spout our venom. 

What Ms. Clinton will have to endure, should she win, boggles the mind. For a hint, look at the signs held up at Trump rallies.  The word 'bitch' his prominent. As is the one starting with 'c'. Why she would be willing to be the tip of the spear for women, I have no idea. 

Anyway, this'll be my last post until after the election.  Good luck.

Mike