Allan G. Hunter's Blog, page 27

Diary 79

Friday June 5th

The “president” today said that unemployment was down and that this was a great day for George Floyd. I have no clue what that could possibly mean, as Floyd is, as even the ‘president’ knows, dead.

This is the eleventh straight day of protests.

The question I ask each day is: how can we heal this situation? It may feel impossible with one side so entrenched in not listening to what’s happening, but we have reason to believe that gradually, very gradually, Goliath is realizing he’s out-numbered.

For what we are seeing, ugly and alarming as it is, in fact is healing. We are all seeing that peaceful protests must be allowed – that’s why we’re outraged when things turn brutal. Like a body that burns with fever as it deals with the pathogen, it’s pretty scary.  But I believe we’re witnessing one of the stages of healing.

Diary 78

Thursday, June 5th

There is something almost Shakespearean about what’s happening in Washington. Actually, Shakespeare would never have created such an inarticulate, petty, and utterly trivial character as the “president”.  Perhaps a lesser Jacobean playwright would, though. Still, the building of a wall (how our “president” loves walls, and cages!) around the White House has something Macbeth-ish about it. But wait: Macbeth was not a coward, even when cornered.

Protests are happening around the world.

Although people are still dying at the hands of Police one cannot escape the sense that corrupt and racist institutions (and politicians) are being taken to task, again. 

What we must remember is that getting rid of racism is not a once-off deal.  It has to be a continual effort, every day of our lives, forever, generation after generation. It is an effort of caring, love and compassion.

Diary 77

Diary 77

Wednesday, June 4th

Justin Trudeau (PM of Canada) is on record as saying that he finds trump’s handling of the on-going protests leaves him speechless.  I tend to agree.

Eleven weeks of lockdown; Eight continuous days of protests, 3000 arrests in Los Angeles county, alone.

So – on to something else.

This little beauty came to visit us today. I don’t know what it’s called or even what the flowers are called. My garden remains somewhat mysterious in that respect.

I thought this picture might be a contrast to the black squares that are all over Twitter and other social media. I admire that expression. And I also want to remind people that the Earth itself is under threat from our know-nothing “president”.

Diary 76

Diary 76

Tuesday, June 3rd

The pictures are from Watertown Square, where about a thousand people (I guess) came out in support of Black Lives Matter for a one hour vigil. People of all ages assembled peacefully, stretching in socially distanced ways from the bridge to the fire station and all across the square. It was difficult getting a good picture of the folks stretched out all along each side of the roads, but I think you get the idea.

Only one old dude tried to argue, insult, and talk back to the protesters, and he went away after someone took out a cell phone and started to video all the things he was saying.  One motorcyclist, on a grossly loud Harley, went out of his way to wave a middle finger at the gathered folks, and shout at them. Why would anyone choose to support inequality, racism, and murder?  I don’t understand…..

Diary 75

Monday, June 1st

The protests and riots are now in their seventh day (according to CNN). The news channels have broadcast plenty, and especially that bizarre event where the “president” having arranged for the streets to be cleared of peaceful protesters, walked across to St. John’s Church for a photo op with a Bible. Repulsive.

He held the Bible as if it might bite him. I hoped it would.

I suspect changes are afoot, big changes, and for the better – eventually. For now, though, things are ugly. But this will pass.

Diary 74

Sunday, May 31st

In amid all the unpleasant news is one snippet I’d like to emphasize. In Flint, Michigan, (the place that had poisonous water for years, a factor the present administration chooses to overlook) and in other places around the country the crowds protesting George Floyd’s murder found that the police, far from confronting them, joined in their march.

Perfect. I hope this is what will happen everywhere.

Diary 73

Diary 73

Saturday, May 30th

Given the ghastliness of the news we took a long walk and discovered parts of the river that I had never seen before in the past 30 years. It’s deliciously beautiful, open, and fragrant even with a face mask.

These days I have to check the early morning news before I post, just in case anything ghastly has happened since I wrote my diary…

Make no mistake, I am not ignoring the racial tensions currently being stoked by our “president”. But I do need to be renewed. 

As an old lifer in Walpole prison once told me, “If they get you angry then they’ve got you exactly where they want you.”

Diary 72

Diary 72

Friday, May 29th

It’s impossible to ignore the riots in Minnesota. These are clearly race riots, now, which represents yet another occasion when our ‘government’ let a situation spiral out of control because it failed to act in a timely fashion, and thus allowed decades (centuries?) of deep-seated rage to volcano to the surface.

It didn’t have to be that way. Sparks and tinderboxes don’t have to be stacked side by side.

Diary 71

Diary 71

Thursday, May 28th

Today came the dispiriting news of 40 million unemployed in the US, and more every day. Personally I wouldn’t mind adding a few politicians to that list.

We still need to think about important things, though, such as how we are going to stabilize the planet’s climate, and the planet’s population. Ah yes, that’s the Big Question we all want to avoid. I’m hopeful that we’ll address it. It surely is staring us in the face.

In the meantime I’ve been tending the bees with ample guidance from Willie (who knows exactly what he’s doing). He lets me wear the white suit. It’s a fashion thing.

Diary 70

Diary 70

Wednesday, May 27th

Ten weeks. We should probably be prepared for a long haul with this disease – yes, even longer than it’s already been.

But, lest we forget, we have another issue to face: global climate change. To deal with this we need to be working together as a whole, all of us, the whole world. 

Our ‘president’ is only good at sowing division, discord, and isolating this country from the rest of the world.  We cannot, as a species, afford that.

On a much happier note, my twin grandchildren were two today. A small gathering of friends and family included the release of two freshly-hatched butterflies, that their friend Paige (aged 5) had nurtured from caterpillars. The pictures show in blurry cinema verité style, one of the butterflies (a Red Admiral) perching on Paige’s finger before flying away, and one in which you can see it take flight.

Really, it was a beautiful moment. Let me never forget it.