A Well-Traveled Park

I may have used this picture in an earlier blog story, and am now repeating it here.  Oh, well. That kind of repetition is a hallmark of aging.

I went to the doctor for a checkup.  At 70, that's always a scary adventure. Especially when reviewing blood work from the previous week.

It was a mixed bag.  Most of the results were good.  There were a few things I need to be careful with and follow up on.  

I've fought some things for a few years now, things that were marginal and felt that I could control myself.

Finally, my age gave me a new perspective, and I realized I had to accept who I am and that I may need some help in combating health issues.  The biggest one was admitting something that is hard for me, because I, for better or worse, view it as a personal failure.

I am a diabetic.

My numbers are not that bad, just over the line, but I have pretended for too long.  I must admit that I have it, and I cannot delay any longer.  So, I'm going on medication to control and reverse it.

I know that a balanced diet and regular exercise, along with weight loss, can help with this.  And, with Alison's help, I think I can get better.  

Whether I'm on medication for a few months or a lifetime, it is now something I'll always have to think about, monitor, and consider.

I realize I'm not alone in this.  Many go through this, including a lot of my friends and family. I know that's partly cultural, a result of our lifestyle and the prevalence of processed foods. And I've seen the results when diabetes is ignored or handled poorly.  That is not a path I wish to travel.

I prefer to do those things I need to do to minimize the harm this disease causes, so that I can keep traveling in my well-worn park, and continue to enjoy life - time with Alison and my children and grandchild, reading, writing, performing, attending church, loving pets, binging scripted shows, supporting public libraries, fighting the Trumpocalypse.

Here's to many more adventures - just with a little less sugar!

Alligator Alcatraz: A Concentration of Evil

 

Alligator Alcatraz is a concentration camp. To pretend anything otherwise is a willful reflection of callousness and uncaring. To feign ignorance is a high level of ostrich-like head-in-the-sandism, as it defies all reason and logic.

An article by an expert in concentration camps, Andrea Pitzer, their development and history - her words, from an article entitled Don't Call it "Alligator Alcatraz" Call it a Concentration Camp - 

This facility's purpose fits the classic model: mass civilian detention without real trials targeting vulnerable groups for political gain based on ethnicity, race, religion or political affiliation rather than for crimes committed. And its existence points to serious dangers ahead for the country.

The overcrowding in inhumane cages, without privacy, without any respect for people, stacking an estimated nine bunk beds and eighteen people per cage.

Air conditioning? Maybe. Different sources say different things. Running water and bathroom facilities seem limited at best. 

Alligator Alcatraz has already been subject to flooding.

The Miccosukee Tribe, which lives near the facility, is very concerned about its environmental impact, as are others. I know -they make it sound like it's completely isolated - I guess it only counts unless it's conservative white families living nearby.

Much is made of it being surrounded by alligators, pythons, and other predators. Maybe. The worst part of that is having to listen to MAGAs gleeful at the prospects of people at the camps trying to escape and being eaten by gators. To further enhance their cruelty and inhumanity, they are snapping up Alligator Alcatraz merchandise! They want to display and wear their cruelty for all to see. How has this country fallen so low? At least Germans, for all their monstrosity, didn't wear t-shirts celebrating the ovens at Auschwitz.

But the alligators are not the biggest threat. The heat, swarms of mosquitoes and other insects, and the potential for exposure to storms and flooding all make this a perilous environment for housing detainees.

And remember, the detainees, brought in without due process, will often NOT be the hardened criminals you think that they are. ICE, so far, has shown an infinite capacity to sweep up the wrong people, and then has a hard time letting them go. Trump has even talked about revoking citizenship and sending those he simply does not like to places like this.

And the cost is horrendous. 450 million dollars a year for a tent city? And where did the money come from? It's money reallocated from FEMA. You know, the agency that's supposed to help with things like the flooding in Texas? Instead of saving lives, the money is going to be used to destroy lives!

But have no fear. The ICE budget, in the most recent Big Ugly Bill, is receiving dramatic increases, over $100 billion, a larger budget than most other countries' military budgets, and bigger than the budget for the US Marine Corps. It includes $45 billion for the construction of new facilities. Alligator Alcatraz times 90.

"Oh, Tom!" reich wing friends tell me. "It's only a temporary holding! They'll only be there a few days until they're deported!" 1) Deported where? Who's agreed to take them? El Salvador? Some other country that is not their country of origin? So they'll just be transferred to other inhumane facilities? 2) I don't believe for a second that many of them will be there just for a few days. That's not usually the experience with concentration camps. 3) I don't care how long it is. I don't care what the crime or civil offense is. This is NOT the way to treat people. You're trying to turn them into animals that, in your mind, it is ok to treat inhumanely.

Is this Alligator Auschwitz? No, not yet. But the German concentration camps did not start out that way either. The gas ovens were not there at first. But listen carefully about how the MAGAs talk about this - the glee over the potential alligator meals, the delight in the cruelty of it all. The fairest thing to say is we're on that path, but we're not there yet.

Which is why we have to speak out. Many of the German people knew what was coming, but out of fear, acquiescence, or complacency, did not speak out.

We cannot be quiet. Many of us are taught by our faith to care about all people, and that everyone deserves to be treated as we would treat ourselves.

I don't know how much of this nightmare we can stop.

But let's not be silent about it.

HERESY!

 Recently, I posted this on Facebook:

As bold as I've been in stating my opinion, I may still not have made something absolutely clear. Christian Nationalism is a heresy. And those who profess it are not Christians; they are heretics. They do not deserve a seat at the table.

It received 35 likes/loves. As far as my posts go, that's a pretty high number.

What it did not receive were any dislikes, nor did it receive any negative comments.

I just called out one of the major religious movements in America, and nobody was there to defend it, or get upset that I was calling them out?

Why?

First, there is the fierce algorithmic control exerted by Facebook. It's possible that very few on the opposite side saw this. I am reminded of the joke about a new person entering heaven and being shown around by an angel. They get to a mountain and look down into a valley where all the Baptists are. The new person asked why they were isolated, and the angel answered, "Shh! They don't know anyone else is here!"

This isolationary algorithm may be giving us a warped idea of what's out there. This may be affecting our view of what's happening regarding our opinions of what's happening to LaVonnia Moore, the librarian fired for a patron-selected display that included an award-winning book that featured a transgender child. We see our Facebook feeds, those of us who support her, and think, 'Wow!' There is a ton of support for her and very little opposition! Surely we are in the majority!

What we don't see are the voluminous number of hateful bogots on the other side. They have been muted from our social media feeds.

Second, this may have gotten little negative response, because many don't recognize that they are Christian Nationalists. I doubt if many churches are blunt about identifying what they are. So, many think I'm talking about somebody else.

No, let's be clear. I am talking about YOU. Virtually all the white churches in this area range from Christian Nationalist heavy to Christian Nationalist lite. They either openly espouse Christian Nationalist philosophy, or they are tolerant of it, and don't call it out as a heresy.

In future posts, I hope to clarify what Christian Nationalism is and which churches here lean most heavily into it.

Briefly, if yours is more of a God of Fear than a God of Love, then you lean more towards Christian Nationalism. If you think of America as God's chosen people, you lean more towards Christian Nationalism. If you value authority and control more than democracy and tolerance, you lean towards Christian Nationalism. If you view immigrants as less than human and want them deported, especially to maintain some fancied cultural purity, then you lean Christian Nationalist.

That's just for starters.

Grace Episcopal Church in Waycross (my church) is not a Christian Nationalist church. That does not mean we don't have individual parishioners who are influenced by Christian Nationalism. But that is not the theme of the church, and it is not espoused by church leadership. The same is true of Blackshear First United Methodist Church.

I live in a county where 90% of those who were able to vote voted for Trump. The devotion to him ranges from cult-like to seeing him as a useful tool. I find him to be the most anti-Christian leader we've ever had.

The New Testament warns of false prophets. Many are selling out their faith, moving themselves farther and farther from anything Jesus espoused, to cozy up to a narcissistic con-man who only cares about himself, and is the least religious/spiritual man to ever occupy the White House.

I have faith Christianity will survive. Most heresies burn themselves out. The true spirit of Jesus, the God of Love, will triumph in the end.

I pray that is so.

Reinstate LaVonnia Moore

 

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 5:10 PM

I arrived early for a meeting with the Pierce County Friends of the Library. I recently volunteered to be their Treasurer.  

The meeting didn't start until 5:30, so I took a look around the library, one of my favorite things to do (this has been true for my entire life). Looking at the new books, I discovered this mammoth surprise - Myth and the Greatest Generation by Kenneth D Rose.  

Months ago, I had heard of the book on a history TikTok. I checked with both Pierce and Ware County libraries. I checked online sites. I checked with Michael Jacobs, a friend and used book specialist. Sadly, it was not to be found.

But there it was, on the bookshelf of my local library! LaVonnia Moore, the talented local librarian and branch manager, unbeknownst to me, had requested it through Three Rivers Regional Library and was able to secure a copy.

This is not just something she did for me. She always prioritizes books that patrons have requested.  

That's not all she does for the library. She is creative, experienced, and dedicated, bringing a wide range of events and activities for all age levels and patrons.

At our meeting, we discussed many of the exciting events planned for the summer reading program, including the Color Ball scheduled for the 28th. Active, caring, and engaged, I have never met a finer librarian. She also talked about the new Director at Three Rivers. She said there were a lot of new rules to adjust to, but he was fair and caring, and looked forward to working with him.

There was no sign of what was to come.

Wednesday was a closed day for the library. But that was the day she was called and summarily dismissed. Why? There was a PATRON CREATED display, primarily based on book cover colors, that included an award-winning book with a theme involving a transgender child. It was not pornographic. It was positive and caring.  

But the Christian Nationalist extremists who have been yapping at our library for over a year took it as an excuse to pressure the Pierce County Commission into firing LaVonnia. Three Rivers caved when it realized the county funding was at stake.

This is nighmarishly wrong. Hopefully, pressure will be exerted to reverse it and rightfully reinstate LaVonnia.

But it is up to you, Pierce County residents and library users. Suppose the commissioners, being politicians, fear the loud, strident, and bigoted extremists. In that case, they may need to learn that they need to fear instead the hundreds who use and love our library and are opposed to banning and censorship. Then, LaVonnia will be reinstated.  

Of course, it may not have sunk in to the commissioners how illegal and un-American what they did was.

However, over time, if they don't act, they may eventually figure it out.

There is a GoFundMe titled Help LaVonnia Moore Seek Justice and Equality. I highly encourage donations. It will help in her legal efforts.

I apologize that this is only a brief outline of what happened, but for more details, if you are local, please check your Facebook feeds and The Blackshear Times. Alicia Moore, LaVonnnia's sister, is invaluable to check out.

Make no mistake, library patrons, concerned citizens, and the Three Rivers Staff. If you don't stand your ground, the extremists will keep pushing and taking. They will not stop until the library is nothing more than a Christian Nationalist Reading Room.

Asleep at the Wheel

 Ever had a toddler who anticipates their big birthday party, and all the pre-birthday excitement becomes too much, causing them to crash during the party?  Perhaps they fall asleep during the special movie they've wanted to see for so long.

Well, we have a President who has been napping in the middle of events more and more often. It's all become a bit too much for our 79-year-old leader.  

I guess the military parade was not what he imagined in his head.  Crowds were sparse, performances were lackluster; even those government officials who felt their attendance was mandatory seemed bored and disinterested.  This was just something they had to get through to please the boss.

His behavior since the parade has been atrocious.  He refused to call Governor Tim Walz to offer condolences for the targeted assassination there of Democratic Minnesota legislators, and made clear his partisan disdain for Walz.  His brief day at the G7 summit was filled with ridiculous misinformation, and most of the other leaders treated him as senile Grandpa at the Senior Home.  

He left the G7 summit that evening, claiming he had to get back to do something in connection with the Israel-Iran situation. Many thought that this meant America was about to enter the conflict, and some vital decisions had to be made.  It turns out that it was just an excuse to leave the conference early. 

He announced via social media that he planned to target Democratic cities for ICE, the National Guard, and the military to harass.  It's hard to say what the point is.  Does he think he can topple, coup-like, Democratic voting results?  Or is this just nasty, authoritarian-style revenge?  

It's hard to say what the orange conman really intends with Iran.  Are we only supplying weapons?  Will service members get involved?  Air Force?  Drones? Ground troops? Israel and the US are playing a dangerous game, one that could easily lead to WW3.

The President is unraveling, and we still have three and a half more years to go.

There is no easy way through this.  If TACO were gone (out of office, for whatever reason), there would be no prizes in the Crackerjack box.  The uncharismatic JD Vance is nothing more than a vessel for the billionaire tech bros, especially Vance's mentor, Peter Thiel. Trump only believes in himself, the billionaire bros actively hate democracy, and want to lead us into a place of technoauthoritarianism, a pseudo-libertarianism that primarily benefits the super-wealthy class.  Next in line is Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a devout Christian Nationalist who would replace democracy with theocracy.

Our only hope is that the midterms are honestly conducted, and that the opposition wins a majority in the House and the Senate. That's no guarantee of stopping a fascist lunatic who doesn't listen to any power source except his own executive actions, but it's a start.

But we have so much time for things to go terribly wrong.  Every day, the world becomes more unravelled.

Trump's strength comes from his voting base.  That strain of right-wing nuttery that's always been a part of politics, but hasn't always been our dominant thread. Until that hold breaks, we are in for a very rocky ride.

Help me feel better about America.  If you voted for Trump, particularly in 2024, and you have finally seen the light, please let me know.  Give me some hope in this frightening alternate reality we've stumbled into.

Don't stay asleep at the wheel.  Wake up and help us bring an end to this nightmare.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

America's Rorshach Test

What do you see in the Los Angeles protests?

For the first time, I regretted not having a 24-hour cable news network, having eliminated our access in a reorganization of our streaming services. I missed Ali Velshi in particular. 

My son, Greg, who lives in Irvine near Los Angeles, was messaging me about the protests. I wanted to see what was going on. The only live feeds that I could find were on TikTok.

This was not a big help. Most feeds were static (one place or camera shot), and the commentary running through them was quite partisan. One-half commented about how terrible and dangerous it was, and welcomed the National Guard and the military. Kill 'em all!

The other half urged to keep the protests peaceful and dreaded the intrusion of the National Guard and the military. Be careful! They want to kill us all!

So, who was right? Those who wanted to arrest, hurt, or kill? Or those who were concerned that they would be arrested, hurt, or killed? What a dilemma!

It's hard to cut through. Nevertheless, it looks like the protests are overwhelmingly peaceful (with a few property damage exceptions), and, most importantly, THEY ARE WELL WARRANTED.

Ice agents, masked and dressed as civilians, are kidnapping people from their workplaces, their schools, even from just outside courtrooms. They are arresting young and old, pregnant women and children. If you are swept up, it doesn't matter whether you are a citizen or not. You will be disappeared and traumatized.

This is not an action of a democratic country. This is not representative of a constitutional republic. They are the actions of authoritarian fascism.

In two terms, Obama deported over 3 million people. In his first term, Trump deported 1.5 million people. In one term, Biden deported 4.4 million people. Not what Fox News was telling you, was it?

A comprehensive, bipartisan immigration plan was proposed in 2023. In my opinion, it bent way too far to please the Republicans, but nonetheless, it would have moved the ball forward in improving the system.  

It didn't happen. It didn't pass. Why? Because Trump came out against it. Not for any great purity reason, but because it threatened to go a long way in resolving the issue he wanted to make the centerpiece of his campaign. He didn't care what was in the best interest of the American people. He only cared about himself.

ICE HAS TO BE PROTESTED. What it's doing is wrong and inhumane. It makes us appear monstrous in the eyes of the world. And it is also highly ineffective. You can deport a lot of people, if that is your goal, without acting like the Gestapo.*

The goal here is to provoke and create unrest. If they can create enough chaos, then they can have an excuse for their true objective: declare martial law and take complete dictatorial control of the country. You can disregard Congress, the courts, and the Constitution. You can arrest whoever you want and hold them for as long as you want.  

These are some tough, scary times. Protesting, even the most peaceful kind, is a risk. But it may be the only way to show them we will not be cowed.

There are many NO KINGS protests scheduled for June 14th. There is likely one in your area. They are being held on the same day as Kim Don TACO's massive military parade.  

Attend one, if you can. It's time for the American people to roar, in numbers too big to ignore.

Until next time,

T. M. Strsit

AOC '28

*if you really want to reduce the undocumented population, a more effective way would be to go after the businesses and individuals who HIRE THEM.  Put a few business owners in jail, and this will reverse this much more quickly than random busts at Home Depot.

Suddenly Seventy

 

What? How did this happen?

I'm not sure, but oops, there it is! Nothing I could do about it.

We spent the last week in California, meeting my oldest son, Greg, my middle son, Doug, his wife, Paige, and my one and only grandchild, granddaughter Retta, who is all of three years old! I'm not posting many pictures of this glorious event, as Doug and Paige do not want Retta's image to be shared on social media. Given the awful nature of our times, I agree with their decision. I might post other pictures from the trip at some point.

I am including a picture of me on my 70th birthday. I'm wearing a cap I got from our visit to Disneyland. It states Disneyland, authentic, original, established 1955. Just like me!

Yes, I'm as old as Disneyland. I'm not in as good a shape, but I haven't had as much money spent on my maintenance as Disneyland has!

Really, the only things that make me aware of my age are mirrors and arthritis. Most of the time, I'm still a young kid reading comic books, enjoying movies, eating pizza, and spending time with those I love.

California was a risk, in that I was afraid of a flare-up of arthritis pain, making it difficult for me to do things and keep up. I asked, "Please! Just let my arthritis stay away while I'm in California!"

Sure enough, it did! Now that I'm back, it's starting to flare up again. I asked, "What's up? Why am I getting it now?" The answer? " I gave you California! You didn't ask for anything after that!"

Oh, well.  

No, I don't have everything I dreamed of as a kid. I'm not famous, not as a writer, not as an actor, not as a politician (that last one may be a blessing, but really, whatever my flaws, I couldn't be anywhere as bad as the Orange Despot).

But, in reality, I do have everything that I want. A beautiful, loving partner, three successful and kind sons, an amazingly gifted granddaughter, a supportive church, a wonderful library, and so much more. I may not be a professional actor, but I've been in over a hundred plays, a body of work that encompasses a tremendous variety of roles. I may not be a professional writer, but I have self-published books and maintain this blog, which has garnered over half a million views.  

I've had ups and downs, calamity and heartbreak, success and failure, but through it all, I've always had what's most important, in family and friends. And at 70, that is what you cherish most.

I'll keep this positive, and not deal in this post with what an absolute nightmare the politics in this country have become. I just pray that it eventually straightens and I get to see it.

Until next time,

T. M. Strait

AOC '28