You Can Even Learn From Bad Experiences...

I've learned a lot of things since Bush took office and I guess you can consider that positive.

I used to believe that America was made up of people of courage and that nobody would blink twice before stepping up to the plate to differ with views that did not represent the public good.

Hooey! It's simply not true.

I used to think that most Americans were rational people who used reason, honesty and objectivity to arrive at answers to their questions. I didn't believe that irrational spirituality would take over the lives of 50% of the population.

I used to think that "it couldn't happen here..."

That a fascist type of regime could simply come in and take over and discard the Constitution.

It couldn't happen here or so I thought.

I didn't think that a government would make laws that were not for the public good; that they would deny those inalienable rights to our own citizens like habeas corpus, privacy, etc.


Boy, was I misled.

I used to think Americans for the most part were smart. After all, we had access to the best colleges, the most comprehensive communications network and we were about self-improvement.

I am now convinced that more dummies reside in this country than any other country I've ever visited--and that includes some real backwaters!....

I used to believe that people cared about other people; that most people when they saw a person in need would step in and do what they were morally obligated to do, help.

I don't believe that anymore.

I used to believe that when people didn't agree on something that they could discuss it with good will and honesty and that it was okay to have an honest difference of opinion..

That has proved to be pie-in-the-sky.

Yes, there are still wonderful, glorious people who will go out of their way to help someone in need; there are good people who will stand up and be counted; and there are people who are committed to scientific reason and rationality but they are few and far between.

We are at a very dangerous tipping point: If the conservatives have their way, the textbooks will be rewritten and our children will be fed a menu of superstition and rhetoric. With more than 47 % of the population willing to jetison all we know, all we've learned in 2000 years, it is a pretty scary proposition. And it becomes more scary when you realize that most of this population believe that we are beginning to approach the time of Raptures where all good Christians will be swept up to Heaven--and heaven help the rest!...

I've also learned that if we don't do for ourselves, no one will do for us!

In short, we are each responsible for the world we inhabit; what we do with that knowledge will determine what becomes of our world.

Happy New Year!

Les Aaron