Democracy Is Threatening to Republicans

Republicans must not like democracy. It scares them.

Tell me how that isn't so, when it appears to be true that:

• They work hard to limit the number of people voting;
• They call information that they don't like 'fake news'; and
• They scream at history education, calling it 'divisive'.

The latter has recently emerged since California has chosen to require students to study the New York Times' "1619 Project," which involves an intensive study of slavery in America. 45 has called it 'divisive.'

Typically, he has threatened to cut off funding for it. He has given Education Secretary Betsy DuVos, a deep intellectual, the assignment to see if she could somehow keep California schools from introducing it into their curricula.

I have news for them. As a former history teacher myself, here's what I would do without telling a soul: Acquire the 1619 Project on my own, regardless of cost, and then go over it with a fine-tuned comb. I would pluck out the most interesting information from it without anybody knowing it. I wouldn't have to use websites. I wouldn't have to copy anything within it. I could develop my own curriculum in summary. Just like I did throughout my career, after having read books and periodicals.

So. Research would improve my teaching. It's like free speech: You can't stop it no matter how hard you try. Does 45 have a problem with that? Does DuVos? It boggles the mind what kind of person would strive to prevent further learning about something that really did happen within our shores.

What's he afraid of--more statues being torn down? Or better explanations to do so?

The 'fake news' bit is, or should be, getting pretty tired now. He is the walking, talking epitome of 'fake news.' He deserves as little attention as possible. His commentary has, in fact, little effect on anybody.

Limiting the number of people voting, though--that's a potential problem. The firewalling of some mailboxes is a rolling crime. Typically, nobody there is thinking about the other things people rely on the mail for--prescription drugs, for instance--that are absolutely essential. They're not just ruining democracy: They're ruining people's lives.

But then, we now know that he lied to cover up his nonchalance about the virus, allowing the vast majority of more than six million people to get sick, and coming up on 200,000 to die--just so nobody yells at him. But he ran out of time: Bob Woodward has the goods, and the book with his damning phone calls--generated by 45--is going to hit the shelves with plenty of time left before people go to vote.

Plenty will vote for him, anyhow. They don't care, as long as they're alive. They have adapted his complete lack of empathy. It says here that they never had it anyhow. And it isn't completely a socio-economic phenomenon, either. I said it from his election, coming in the backdoor on a technicality, and I will say it again: You could see this coming from people who have no right for self-pity, who had all the advantages anyone else could have wanted--but adapted racist, low-class attitudes nonetheless. That, above all, is what threatens our democracy.

That will be explored in a few days. Meanwhile, be well. Be careful. Wear a mask. With some luck, I'll see you down the road.

Mister Mark