As the ninth month of the year (also known as the twenty-first month of 2020) comes to an end and 2022 is just over the horizon – some thoughts come to mind as to what is going on in this country and on this planet.

Missing Persons

As you are reading this over 60 young Navajo women are missing. However, given the national obsession with the disappearance and apparent murder of one young white woman, there is no way that the tragedy of the Navajos comes anywhere near the surface of the American consciousness.

It should be possible to care and grieve for Gabby Petito and also care and grieve for the hundreds of Black, LatinX, Asian and Indigenous girls and women who have gone missing and have never been found. It should be possible, but this is the United States of America, and while the echo of Black Lives Matter continues across this land, the truth is that White Lives Matter more.

How else to explain the breathless hour to hour coverage of the Gabby Petito story while the name of even one missing nonwhite woman is unknown to the newspaper editors, television commentators or radio talk show hosts. How else to explain the institutional lack of care and concern if the missing/murdered victim is not white.

A year ago, it seemed that the people of America were finally ready to confront and conquer this country’s original sins of racism and white supremacy. A year later it would seem that it will take more than marches and the chanting of slogans.

As of September 2021 White Lives Matter More – still. After all, it’s the American Way.

Vaccine Hoarding

It is said that during times of crisis that the best and the worst of humanity appears. Certainly, that is true during this pandemic as we have seen bravery and compassion and courage and resilience of virtually superhuman proportions. Of course, we have also seen greed, meanness and brutish ignorance roam the streets as well.

And this can be seen on the international stage as there has been unprecedented cooperation between the industrialized and economically secure countries in promoting the research, production and distribution of vaccines. And yet, only one percent of the people of Africa are vaccinated.

And yet, in America and throughout Europe there is a literal oversupply of vaccines and the question is only how to get unvaccinated citizens vaccinated as well as dealing with the medical luxury of who should receive booster shots first. Meanwhile only one percent of the people of Africa are vaccinated while the so-called developed countries put a few vaccine coins in the poor box, their collective arrogance, selfishness and greed are apparent.

The United States and the European Union may be technologically advanced but when it comes to compassion and simple kindness, they leave a lot to be desired.

Here Comes the Democratic Party Firing Squad – Again

As of January 20, 2021, the Democratic Party “controlled” the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Of course, since we are speaking about the Democratic Party quotes (“”) must be used due the lack of discipline and common cause within that party.

One may or may not be a big fan of the Republicans, but party discipline and focus on core values are very clear and apparent. On January 20, 2017 the Republicans controlled the House, Senate and House of Representatives and they got to work. Hundreds of conservative judges including a stacked conservative majority on the Supreme Court for at least a decade, gutting environmental regulations with a healthy dose of racism for good luck. Republicans are very clear about what they want and how to go about getting it.

Democrats, on the other hand, by being a “big tent” party, has so many implacable competing interests that right now the party resembles a circular firing squad, doing its very best to get absolutely nothing done except create further fissures and divisions in the party and provide the paving stones for the Republican Road to Victory in 2022 – and perhaps 2024 as well.

The number of Democrats who are willing to abandon the good in pursuit of the perfect is appalling – especially when the specter of the next Republican takeover of the federal government is a very real nightmare that could come true. But there are too many Blue Zealots who believe that going down to defeat in a worth cause is better that achieving some goals right now and building on that edifice – an edifice that is right now just some sketches on a blueprint.

And all the Republicans have to do is wait and let the Democrats defeat themselves.