Watching the 10’clock news on BBC TV this year has been an illuminating experience. In particular watching all the reports from America; Donald Trump as President and Leader of the Free World making yet another egregious and ignorant comment. White policemen murdering an unarmed black man. Horrific wildfires engulfing vast tracts of Oregon and California, destroying property and people. Donald Trump pontificating. White policemen shooting a handcuffed black man in the back, multiple times. Donald Trump. All truly shocking events. But without doubt the most disturbing, even terringfying report was from Louisville last week where armed Militia were openly parading on the streets in protest at the Black Lives Matter demonstrations. These militia were not like Dad’s Army; farmers and others with straw in their hair, wielding pichforks and shotguns. These were scary rednecks in full military camouflage kit, with helmets, night vision devices and radios, dripping with an array of arms, including automatic high velocity rifles. You could argue that such things are essential for shopping in Walmart, but on the whole I am inclined to think not. Not far away another group of black “soldiers”, similarly attired and armed were drilling in an overt display of disciplined hostility. Talk about a powder keg waiting for the blue touch paper to be lit. The police, probably wisely, were maintaining a distance more than socially necessary. These are legal groups, exercising their legal right to bear arms. Perhaps the scariest thing of all is that an awful lot of Americans think this is totally acceptable and part of their inalienable rights. To me it appears like a deranged society primed for meltdown. Apparently throughout history most empires have lasted for about one hundred years. The US of A’s might be lucky to last that long.
A former colleague of mine now lives in Deer Valley in Utah. He is a huge Trump fan, believing that America is a much better place thanks to The Donald. He has more weapons in his house than he can recall. He never answers the door without a gun in his hand, he always has a pistol in the car and his wife carries one in her handbag. He wouldn’t think of leaving the house without a weapon of some description. He thinks this is perfectly normal. He is an intelligent man.
Looking out on my attractive garden, many flowers still in bloom and the grass begging to be mown as the unseasonably hot sun beats down from a cloudless sky, all seems tranquil and happy. But bubbling beneath the surface Covid is playing havoc with learning as more and more sniffles cause frenzies of coronaitis, and in the wider world pessimism is seemingly rapidly replacing optimism.
How can this be when we have the eternally positive Winston Bojo at the helm? Perhaps substance really is more important than image…..
ADayInTheStrifeOf 