The Silence of the Donkeys

We are witnessing a sad phenomenon nowadays. The U.S. is divided almost in the same manner it was before and during the Civil War in the early 1860’s.

The difference is that, unlike then, nowadays, it is not about some painful and revolting issues such as slavery and inequality. This time, it is about exercising some healthy and democratic tenets, Freedom of choice and the freedom to practice that which is innate in every free and enlightened society. The right to vote for one’s choice is what I am referring to.

The American voting system was decreed by the forefathers of our Republic. It was so decreed that the candidate that gets most of the electorate votes, is the chosen candidate. Our great U.S. A. has voted like that for over two centuries.

Many of us have voiced our dissatisfaction with this system but have done little if anything to change it. I remember the contested elections during the Gore Bush season. I also remember that as an Al Gore voter, I was upset. However, I accepted the verdict and supported Bush in his efforts to ensure the well-being and safety of the American people.

I certainly did not think then of going out to riot, cause havoc and use violence to express my dissatisfaction with the results. I would not have contemplated it ever, not then, not now even if the Democratic candidate, whom I oppose, had won.

Moreover, I am very upset, to put it mildly, to see protesters burn our flag. The Star-Spangled-Banner is the flag of the great U.S.A. It is the symbol of everything anyone anywhere else in the world could ever dream of! It stands for freedom, equality, opportunity and rights. It is the subject of our National Anthem It is the symbol of the Land of the Brave and the Land of the Free. For me personally, it is the symbol of the power that liberated my parents from the Nazi death camps.

Yes, I know, some will be quick to correct me and point out that back in 1989, Supreme Court Judge Scalia  was the fifth and deciding voter (Texas vs. Johnson) that upheld the decision that flag burning is a form of expression. A year later, he also voted against a federal law that banned flag burning.

And that, too, is part of what the Star-Spangled banner stands for, freedom of expression and freedom to choose one’s own candidate and one’s own form of government and policies democratically and openly.

Sad that some Donkeys do not get it!

It is not the voters that I direct my anger at. They have a right to be unhappy and protest. It is the leaders that they voted for that I direct my criticism against.

They promised us that they will work to make America great. They promised us that they will be there for us.

Well, your humble servant is one of those us. And this humble servant would have hoped that those same leaders would continue to stand by their promise to make us great, to unify us, work together towards one common goal and make America great again.

Instead, they have chosen to remain silent, sit and watch American brothers and sisters fighting against each other, boycotting and slandering each other. Have they forgotten parts of our bloody history?

I am glad I am in the elephants’ camp. After all, they say that elephants have a long memory!