We Dodged the Bullet
Today is Thanksgiving, 2020, and I offer
no apology for turning the day into a joyous political celebration. Yes,
I am thankful for escaping the nasty covid-19 pandemic for nine months, and my
family staying healthy as well. Yes, I
give thanks to whatever prime mover exists in the great unknown for living long
enough to start my 90th year in a couple of weeks, free of
dementia. Thanks, after more than 25
years of retirement, we are solvent and have not run out of money. Yes, and
thanks for so many wonderful friends, staying busy every day and living in a
comfortable senior community free of dogs and as far as I can tell, republicans.
But that is not what I celebrate most today. No, today I give thanks for the salvaging of
democracy with a remarkably honest and transparent election, and the removal
from public office of the worst President of the United States we have ever had
in the history of the republic, Donald J. Trump and his sycophantic
Vice-President. I give thanks to the
election inspectors and the tireless Postal Service for the extra effort. I
write these words, some 18 days since the election became apparent in Biden’s
favor and taking note that Trump has not yet conceded. In fact, his post-election behavior has been
absurd and irrational, which brings me to the final thanks for this
Thanksgiving—giving thanks for science.
It is science, and not politics that yields the explanation. The science of it is that Trump is mentally
ill and deteriorating while we watch. He suffers from malignant narcissism with
a notable paranoia and a destructive behavior pattern. Will someone in the
family please call for a psychiatrist!
And the bullet we dodged? We dodged, in a
word, a Trump dictatorship. We dodged a
“Third Term Campaign Office”. We dodged the tsunami of lies. We dodged the
further dismemberment of democracy and the constitution. We dodged a Republican
Party governed by fear. We dodged an EPA that would have further degraded our
air and water. We dodged a Department of
Education that would have further dismembered our public-school system. We
dodged an impeached president gone unconvicted by the people. We dodged a
president interested in only furthering his own interests. We dodged a
president that believed he was above the law. We dodged an administration that
would not regard the survival of mankind on this planet as any kind of an
objective.
So, I am celebrating Thanksgiving. Yes Sir! I may even have a martini.
