I BELIEVE IN AMERICA*

 I had a short conversation just a little while ago with our 19-year-old granddaughter. Y'all know her as "The Kid" which has been how I referred to her here in Blogville. She did her duty as a citizen and manned the election polls during early voting and on Election Day. Last night she and the MITM stayed up to watch the returns. I stayed away from all of it by watching French detective shows (with subtitles, I'm far from idiomatic French fluent) (sometimes I'm not even idiomatically fluent in English) and interior design shows. 

All my adult life I have always thought that the way for political change to happen was from within. I truly believed that this country, our country, MY country, America, was, while imperfect, constantly striving towards that more perfect Union enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution, and yet here we are 4 years into the most horrible, backsliding, white supremacist, fascistic, grifter/conman wannabe mob boss scenario anyone could ever imagine! I guess what I'm trying to say is, I always thought, even with all of the injustice that has happened since Europeans first stepped foot on this continent that we had slowly, and painfully for many, had evolved, that we were better people, a better nation, a better place than what has been revealed to not only every man, woman, and child here, but the entire world. I'm not broad brushing here, but it has become difficult to look at people without wondering "Did they vote for him?" I'm not only talking about white people because they aren't alone in supporting 45. I'm talking about Afro-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latinx-Americans, and I think you get the gist of my looking askance at my fellow citizens. Sure, the white supremacists get the headlines, but it's the folks who smile in your face and nod their head saying He's a joke, I can't imagine the people who voted for him, I certainly didn't! The fact that close to half of the voting population decided that the egregious and immoral behavior of 45, his constant lies, not to mention his continued violations of the Hatch Act** or his Impeachment in the House weren't going to stop them from casting their vote in his favor has me, using that most marvelous phrase I learned from my pals across the pond, bloody gobsmacked! I could rant about this (even more than I already have), but I won't. I think you know how I feel.

Also, I'm watching The West Wing and celebrating the best President we never had. I can only hope that at some point this week we have a President we can say makes us proud or at the very least, not so fucking embarrassed every time he opens his mouth.

********

Here's some cuteness!

Prepping clams for dinner!

First day of online classes!

*First line of "The Godfather"

**The Hatch Act generally prohibits Federal employees from engaging in political activities while on duty, in a Government room or building, while wearing an official uniform, or while using a Government vehicle.