Flynn Resigns

Last night, during the last two minutes of prime-time television programming, it was announced that Michael Flynn, the National Security Adviser of the United States had resigned his post amid controversy over his discussions with a Russian delegate over the sanctions imposed on Russia by President Obama over Russia’s interference in our election.

I find it appalling that we have been talking about this for days with the emphasis on whether-or-not he lied to Mike Pence and Reince Priebus about it. Aren’t we missing the point here? At a time when Flynn, a not-yet-appointed cabinet member of the not-yet-president of the United States, took it upon himself to call a Russian delegate several times on the day that sanctions were imposed on Russia, it just seemed like there was a better than average chance that one of the points of discussion would be the future of those sanctions.

Several people wanted to know. Flynn denied any mention of the sanctions.  Pence believed him. Priebus believed him. The entire republican leadership in congress defended him. It was a childish and obvious lie at the time, one that was confronted by Sally Yates shortly before she was fired. If Pence and Priebus chose to endorse this lie, they are complicit in it.

The big point is that Russian interference in our election is a factor in having Donald Trump elected as our president and he seems to be unnaturally fond of Vladimir Putin. Paul Manafort and Carter Paige, both heavily involved in Trump’s campaign have had to resign because of their questionable connections to Russia. There is enough suspicion around all of this Russian love fest to worry me.

We need to demand a robust and immediate investigation and it should include all the cabinet members that have ties to Russia. There seem to be far too many Russian enthusiasts making decisions about how our country is going to be run. 

The Gift of Being Uncomfortable

In rereading “The Afterlife of Billy Fingers” I was reminded, yesterday, of something forgotten. We do not grow spiritually without experiencing discomfort. I have, for a while now been feeling that we, brothers and sisters of humanity, are on the brink of a major change, a quantum leap of evolution. I have felt us moving steadily toward this brink with the occasional setback or reversal for several years.

And then, we had this election that seemed to turn the world upside-down and throw us into an unfamiliar, almost unreal universe. Overnight we began to boil. There have been dramatic scenes, an upsurge of violence and bigotry laced events. Protestors have become the norm and their numbers are growing every day. Emotions are raw and on the surface everywhere. Our leader pitches us into chaos on a daily basis, as he blatantly courts Vladimir Putin while ripping up treaties and threatening our allies and foes alike.

What does all this mean? Are we going to war? Will a nuclear event render the globe uninhabitable? Will we be pushed to a civil war to defend our brothers and sisters of different races, faiths, ethnicity, sexual orientations or genders? The fact is, we don’t know. Many of us see our rights and the rights of others melting away and the truth has now become unrecognizable.

I have always heard that catastrophe comes before renewal. Perhaps that is what is around us now. One would think we might have learned enough to avoid the complete destruction of our nation or our world before we can begin to mend it. Reading yesterday about the need to be uncomfortable in order to grow gives me hope. Many of us are uncomfortable right now. Many of us who are more comfortable being quiet, are speaking out. Many of us who have been uninterested in politics, are now hanging on every word about politics.

Many of us that have rocked along thinking there was nothing we could do to make a difference have changed our minds. We are doing something. We are doing what we can do and we are doing it with grace. Whether it is a peaceful march, a prayer meeting, standing up for someone who is being bullied, writing an article, giving a speech or just telling someone we are not going to go quietly into that dark night, we are all doing something.

And it is making a difference. I can see it as we make our opinions known. We take hits every day, but we are fighting back. Whether we are fighting for our reproductive rights, the rights of children for a good education or a good meal, fairness in the work place or along the borders or compassion for those who need help, we continue to fight. It makes my heart full, because it is not done out of small-mindedness and self-need. We are marching out of love for others, out the needs of others.

So, don’t stop. March on. Talk on. Write or speak or donate, Do whatever you can do, no matter how small the action. Join a group: “Still We Rise”, “Resist” any other that fits your need. We can make a difference. We are making a difference. We are growing stronger. The battle may be long and it may be hard, but it must be ours. We must evolve.