Outrage isn't strong enough to capture the revolting state of affairs in America 2025 but your essay lends a powerful and insightful voice to what many (and I hope more) Americans feel about the direction Trump and his minions are dragging us. When will more of our elected leaders say "ENOUGH".
There's a line in To Kill a Mockingbird when Atticus is speaking about Tom Robinson and says: "He had unmitigated temerity to feel sorry for a white woman." I reengineered that line the first time "he who should never be named" got into office- "we had the unmitigated temerity to vote a black man into office." This essay rings true on so many levels. Very well done...
Too bad mainstream media didn't take the "he who should never be named" tack during 2024. They gave Felonious oodles of free air time just speculating about what might happen, wondering if he'd accept the results, and blah, blah, blah. Ta-Nehisi Coates agrees your take (and mine) in The First White President. We are in the throes of recurring white backlash. But I hang on, nevertheless, knowing that we are in fact a purple nation. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and share your insights. Much appreciated, as always.
Nicely done, Andrew. This woman's face and expression, and (look closely!) those of everyone else around her, reflects shock, pain, confusion. I was 12 years old when those babies were slaughtered in Birmingham, and it doesn't take a picture - just the memory of that depraved act - to bring tears to my eyes. Thank you!
Many thanks for sharing your own memories and for your kind words, Leon. And yes, everyone in that scene wears a similar expression. Like you, I have a clear memory of the incident, in part, because a classmate of mine was affected. One of those little girls was his cousin. The memory is very strong, as you’ve said, without having to look at the picture.
This photo takes your breath away, brings tears to your eyes, makes you ashamed and angry, and tells in a single image that we HAVE to do better—as people and as a nation.
And then there is your brilliantly written and powerful essay that confirms that here we are, 62 years later, and we haven't done any better. It feels like all the hatred, all the blood spilled, all the pain, all the suffering, and all the work we have done have now been stripped away by a handful of very rich, mean, nasty, petty, narcissistic, racist, misogynistic, and transphobic men surrounded by their Republican majority in the House & Senate who are spineless, pathetic pieces of shit that stand equally complicit in their silence. They should all be ashamed that their greed has chosen to hold on to their own "power" rather than do the right thing to stop this insanity.
As a friend said to me last week, “I can’t believe what’s happening to our country.” The only thing that comforts me is that the country is not really as red as it seems but purple—and the so-called mandate is merely a slim majority that includes people who failed to see what else they were getting when they voted for cheaper eggs.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Michael. I appreciate it.
Outrage isn't strong enough to capture the revolting state of affairs in America 2025 but your essay lends a powerful and insightful voice to what many (and I hope more) Americans feel about the direction Trump and his minions are dragging us. When will more of our elected leaders say "ENOUGH".
There's a line in To Kill a Mockingbird when Atticus is speaking about Tom Robinson and says: "He had unmitigated temerity to feel sorry for a white woman." I reengineered that line the first time "he who should never be named" got into office- "we had the unmitigated temerity to vote a black man into office." This essay rings true on so many levels. Very well done...
Too bad mainstream media didn't take the "he who should never be named" tack during 2024. They gave Felonious oodles of free air time just speculating about what might happen, wondering if he'd accept the results, and blah, blah, blah. Ta-Nehisi Coates agrees your take (and mine) in The First White President. We are in the throes of recurring white backlash. But I hang on, nevertheless, knowing that we are in fact a purple nation. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and share your insights. Much appreciated, as always.
Nicely done, Andrew. This woman's face and expression, and (look closely!) those of everyone else around her, reflects shock, pain, confusion. I was 12 years old when those babies were slaughtered in Birmingham, and it doesn't take a picture - just the memory of that depraved act - to bring tears to my eyes. Thank you!
Many thanks for sharing your own memories and for your kind words, Leon. And yes, everyone in that scene wears a similar expression. Like you, I have a clear memory of the incident, in part, because a classmate of mine was affected. One of those little girls was his cousin. The memory is very strong, as you’ve said, without having to look at the picture.
This photo takes your breath away, brings tears to your eyes, makes you ashamed and angry, and tells in a single image that we HAVE to do better—as people and as a nation.
And then there is your brilliantly written and powerful essay that confirms that here we are, 62 years later, and we haven't done any better. It feels like all the hatred, all the blood spilled, all the pain, all the suffering, and all the work we have done have now been stripped away by a handful of very rich, mean, nasty, petty, narcissistic, racist, misogynistic, and transphobic men surrounded by their Republican majority in the House & Senate who are spineless, pathetic pieces of shit that stand equally complicit in their silence. They should all be ashamed that their greed has chosen to hold on to their own "power" rather than do the right thing to stop this insanity.
As a friend said to me last week, “I can’t believe what’s happening to our country.” The only thing that comforts me is that the country is not really as red as it seems but purple—and the so-called mandate is merely a slim majority that includes people who failed to see what else they were getting when they voted for cheaper eggs.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Michael. I appreciate it.
Look forward to tucking into this one, insightful, poetic, important
Thank you. Glad, you see something valuable. Though I’m a bit perplexed by your “ing” verb.
tucking! jesus! so sorry will edit now
Good old autocorrect, right? Thanks for clarifying!
Of course, wild response if not an error lol