Scared half to death----------and the other half too!

The  American system of democracy, or our representative republic, is not functioning as it was designed to function.  A lot of Americans feel the pain of governmental dysfunction , but we do  not all perceive the problem, or the solution, the same way. Just as a computer file can be corrupted, our system of government is corrupted and we cannot access the information we need.  Something is terribly wrong , and in short order, we will see if it can be corrected or if we, as a nation, will become increasingly ensconced in more ignorance, greed, bigotry and hate.

Not only do we have deep, deep divisions in our country regarding race, but also religion,  gay rights, a woman's right to choose, left vs right politically, and it appears lately, that those divisions are growing in opposition, and becoming more confrontational.  Glen Beck held a rally in Washington, DC and brought up GOD, of all things.  It was almost more than I could take, to see the man who has been so full of hate standing on hallowed ground invoking God sounding for all the world like an evangelical preacher.  It was beyond ridiculous, it was unbelievable.

The most unbelievable part was that so many listen to him, adore him, believe him, and the most frightening of all, follow him.  If this situation is not a concrete argument for strengthening the public education system in this country, and teaching our kids from a young age, about critical thinking, I don't know what is.

 I watched in horror as the spectacle with Beck unfolded.  In my mind's eye, I recalled dramatic pictures of Hitler. There was Beck,  grandstanding with a venerable backdrop, professing to know the only one true way, declaring America would be reclaimed by the ones, who knew best, what it was to be as outlined in the Constitution. We swore it would never happen again, but our collective memory is  suffering from age-related dementia, or  a lack of education , just maybe it is a certain brain numbness brought about by the loss of a once great dream.

 Some one, or some group, could well emerge and tell us all what to think, how to feel, what we can and cannot do in our private lives, how to behave, what we can and cannot believe, who we can and cannot marry, maybe even what we can and cannot eat.  That group would be the same right wing fundamentalists, carrying the Bible in one hand , and the flag in the other.

When we the people stop dreaming the dream of freedom the nightmare of tyranny moves in.

HOW MANY ROADS MUST A MAN WALK DOWN?------------

My comment on this happening is no comment. It speaks for itself, sadly.







(CNN) -- African-American scholar and Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested last week on a charge of disorderly conduct after a confrontation with an officer at his home, according to a Cambridge, Massachusetts, police report.

Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested last week on a charge of disorderly conduct.

According to the report, officers responded to a call Thursday from a woman who said she saw "a man wedging his shoulder into the front door" at Gates' house near the university. The report, obtained by CNN affiliate WCVB-TV, indicates Gates refused to identify himself to a police officer, claiming the officer was a racist.
Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department stated in the report that he told Gates he was investigating a report of a break-in at the residence. According to the report, Gates "opened the front door and exclaimed, 'Why, because I'm a black man in America?' "
Crowley wrote in the report that he warned Gates two times he was becoming disorderly. After Gates continued to yell and accuse him of racial bias, Crowley wrote he arrested Gates for "loud and tumultuous behavior in a public space."
A statement by Gates' lawyer and fellow Harvard professor Charles Ogletree said that the incident occurred when Gates returned to his home after a trip to China.
Gates, accompanied by a driver, found the front door damaged.
He entered the house with his key through the rear door. Then, he and and driver were able to force the front door open, Ogletree said in his statement.
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WCVB: Police report of incident
The statement was published on the Web site The Root, of which Gates is editor-in-chief.
An officer arrived and told Gates he was investigating a call about a breaking-and-entering at the residence, Ogletree wrote.
Gates identified himself at the officer's request, according to Ogletree.
"He [Gates] turned to walk into the kitchen where he had left his wallet. The officer followed him. Professor Gates handed both his Harvard University identification and his valid Massachusetts driver's license to the officer," Ogletree wrote on The Root.
Ogletree's statement also said that Gates asked Crowley for his name and badge number several times without success.
Then, when Gates followed Crowley to the front door, Crowley said, "Thank you for accommodating my earlier request, and then placed him [Gates] under arrest," Ogletree said.
The Cambridge Police Department would not release any information regarding the incident.
Gates has one of 20 prestigious "university professors" positions at Harvard University, according to WCVB, and joined the faculty in 1991. He is considered one of the nation's pre-eminent scholars of African-American studies. In 1997, Time magazine placed him on its list of the 25 most influential Americans.
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All About Harvard University • Cambridge (Massachusetts)