Barry Hastings: To our young people and young at heart

by Larry Hamp

Please, please, do not lose heart over this oh, so close, loss in the recent presidential election. As a democrat and Democrat whose roots go way back to the amazing career of the late, great Harry Truman (now ranked by historians as the third or fourth greatest president of our nation’s past), I beg you not to give up, to keep working for equality (in every area of endeavor) for all Americans, of every hue, and the safety of our nation in what’s become a very hostile and dangerous world.

Remember how your young voices moved Hillary to a point where you could support her, and actually defeated her Janus-faced opponent in the popular voting. The problem here is the Electoral College, an institution for protection of the Donald Trumps of our revolutionary years, to make certain the nation’s “rabble” would never control our government. It needs to be replaced, by a system guaranteeing the equal weight of every man (and woman’s) ballot You Go, girls, black folks, Hispanics, and indigenous peoples of our beautiful land!

And before I move on, I’ve got to say that the Republican Party, and the lie-a-day campaign of D.T., all but crucified Hillary Clinton, wasting millions of dollars of taxpayer money, in seven investigations by House Republicans, that gave them nothing to demonstrate she deserved the moniker, “Crooked Hillary” or “Lying Hillary.” That truth never deterred their cowardly (and they are physical and moral cowards) attacks.

In truth, Hillary Clinton has done wonderful work for women, children since her youngest years. Her husband’s peccadillos meant she’d be “under the gun” of both the GOP and the media in whatever effort she made. And like the several female Democrat Secretaries of State over the past couple of decades, she’s done excellent work for our country.

I began working (hard) for her the morning after (an American hero of the first order) John Kerry, lost to the idiot Shrub in 2004. In 2008 I worked even harder to see her nominated. When she lost to President Obama. I quickly joined the team, and was pleased as punch to help elect our first black president. I hoped to help elect the first (smart, tough, knowledgeable) female to our nation’s highest position of leadership. I have no doubt she was far and away the better candidate, better person, and one who deeply loves our country.

Nor have I much doubt we’ll come to regret the eagerness of our (pretty) ignorant rabble (the deplorables) to elect the filthy-mouthed, cheater-of-working-people, and abuser of women, Donald John Trump. Time alone, will tell.

Buck-up, get tough, hold on to your dreams… and fight like hell for them! In every future electoral contest. In four years or so, the people who elected Trump will come to realize he’s not interested in helping them at all; and if you still believe in the GOP’s scheme of trickle-down economics, you’ll soon learn there’s not much substance there. You’ll still (as ever) be up the proverbial creek — and still without a paddle. It’s no wonder, though, you’re still as poor, and the country as screwed up, as when like-minded folks elected trickle-down Ronnie Reagan, way back when. They never deliver on promises made to (what they think of as) “the lower orders.”

Good-bye, you hard-working Hillary, and thank you very much. I’ll never forget you; and I’ll ever defend you – against any, and all, comers!

From this point, forward, I have quite a lot to say, and it ain’t gonna be easy for many (most) of you right-wingers to swallow (which is as it should be).

This election year, the Republican Party has forever sundered its relationship with all people of color, and has proven itself a party out-to-eliminate the voting power of women, the party determined to keep women subordinate to men in pay and power (and to the ignorant religious right), ’til the end of time, or ’til time demonstrates, irrefutably, the ignorance and danger inherent in their (laughably) shallow education, and understanding of scientific fact.

If you think you’re going to get an education at a faith-based college or university, you’re going to graduate as ignorant (or more so) as you were the first day on campus. (When someone tries to tell me the earth, all its plants and critters were created in a week, six thousand years ago, I laugh in their face.) If you’ve had a real education, you will, as well. That will be the time and day the world begins making real progress.

I have little love for Florida’s citizens. During World War II, while German U-boats were sinking (literally) hundreds of freighters and tankers carrying supplies destined for our military services (and those of our allies), the crap-heads refused, for months, to turn out (or turn down) the lights of coastal cities (Atlantic coast and Gulf coast) until a thousand, or more, such ships had been torpedoed and sunk, their crews drowned, or deep-fried in blazing oil, aviation fuel, or gasoline. Not a pleasant way to die, but that wasn’t the concern of Florida’s government, Florida’s Chamber of Commerce, and the real estate brokers. They were interested only in their tourism industry, and the convenience of hotel guests.

It took great courage to serve at sea in any ship in those wildly dangerous times. But dollars were calling-out (loudly) to the state’s government and businessmen. They were, in cold fact, the cold­-blooded killers of many a wonderful young, hopeful, American man. Damn their cold, callous hearts.

{In an interlude of thoughtful consideration of my life, my hopes for the country I love, and the American people I love (while detesting the shallowness of their knowledge of her history, and of her unique institutions). While I’m not a ‘true-believer’, I hope God – if He’s there – will bless our land and people; and bring them to a better understanding of their fellow human beings..)

As I got ready to sleep Monday evening, I set my clock for 6 a.m. Tuesday, then grabbed a nice warm cat, and snuggled-down, placing my feet on either side of another nice, warm cat, and was asleep almost immediately, and comforted by the fact the woman I’d worked so hard for, and for so many years, looked to be a “winner” on the morrow. When the alarm rang (it seemed like only minutes later), I leapt out of bed, pulled on my old Obama T-shirt, some new ankle-high Cabela’s boots I’d bought a few days before, and ran out into the frosty morn to start my fine old GMC pickup. While she warmed, I took my (many) morning meds, and hastily shoveled in a medium sized breakfast, slid into my most patriotic (laden with USCG patches) coat, and hit the road for my polling station. I planned to cast the first vote of the day, there, and was the first vehicle into the parking area.

But a (very nice) lady in an SUV was right behind me, and parking a bit closer to the entrance, beat me to the first place in line. It was about 10 minutes before the doors were to open. It was still the highest spot in line I’d managed to grab in some 16 years of voting there. The lady (who beat me there) and I began a conversation.

I checked my watch -five minutes before seven. Suddenly, my lights went out. I don’t remember the fall, at all, but landed, apparently, very hard, just to the left of the point of my chinny-chin-chin. I didn’t feel a thing, ’til I came-to, a few minutes later, with blood all over my face, a sore cheek-bone, a sore butt, and a five-minute gap in my memory. Within minutes, an ambulance arrived, and the EMTs worked on me for a few minutes, before hauling me out to the vehicle. (I had other difficulties there I don’t like recalling.)

Once in the ambulance, they started an IV, and carefully checked my vital signs. Six, maybe eight minutes later, we were rolling by my grandmother’s old place on West Green Street (the scene of many happy days and hours of my youth), and into the emergency entrance at Pennock (Spectrum Health) Hospital. They treated me like a king there.

Three days later, my chin still hurts like the Devil to touch. But I’m alive, still 78 years old getting older each day, and my head still works like a champ (though I’ve been growing a bit more rickety, physically, seems like each day, for a year, or better). My chin, today, looks as though Muhammad Ali (at his peak) landed a perfect uppercut there.

What more can a writing man ask? (End of interlude. Thanks for humoring me!)

Last night, on NPR’s All things Considered daily evening radio news broadcast (best broadcast news in the nation when paired with their morning news show), I heard the Donald has promised our Navy 70 brand new, and badly need warships, of several types and classes. If he extends this to include necessary equipment and armament needs of my beloved Coast Guard, the Air Force, Army, and Marine corps, he’ll have moved a few degrees closer to gaining my support, though I doubt (after his filthy, lying campaign) he’ll ever win my trust or respect. All this will be terribly expensive, but is absolutely necessary in a world where we’re beset by ever more extensive hostility of both Russia and China toward us, our long-time European, and Oriental friends and allies.

Keep your eyes and minds open, and cautious, if he starts sucking up to Vladimir Putin. Russian foreign policy has changed very little since the reign of Ivan the Terrible, many centuries ago. They’re a very suspicious and antagonistic people, led to be that way by the ultra-conservative Russian Orthodox Church, and a very secretive, and suspicious government. And don’t forget the war the shrub made in the Mid-East — under-manned, and under-planned (by idiot, no combat experienced officers like the fool, and disgraced, Petraeous).

It’s been going on, and growing on, for 15 long, deadly years. We must get serious about this. These folks understand only one thing, and it alone can bring them low — deadly force.

Well, so long my readers, friendly or no, I’m so glad to be alive, and back with you on these pages. Let’s try (our best) to pull together, for America’s safety and health and well-being. Thank you, very, very much,

Your fellow citizen and Patriot.