Anne's Musings

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This past week, I asked a group to pray for our country because of the disgraceful riot (shots, deaths, pipe bombs, vandalism) which was occurring at the U. S. Capitol. One lady immediately challenged my innocuous petition for prayer with a justification for the insurrection. She pointed out that she was a military wife, and I did not understand. I calmly reminded her that my husband too was military, and I do know of what I speak.

I still find last week’s action in D.C. hard to believe But I so love this country, this government - with all its rights and responsibilities, with the incredible U.S. Constitution which is a role model for countries all over the world, with the wonderful military that puts its life on the line for our country, with everyone’s rights to peaceably protest and to legally advocate for positions that may or may not be in the majority mainstream. That is what makes America great!

We do not subscribe to the Divine Right of Kings, remember? We left being one of England’s colonial possessions because of the arbitrary rule of royal rulers like George III. We led the way to a world where a democracy is upheld by the people, not aristocracies, not oligarchs, not dictators, not militaries! Thank God!

We have the right to agree to disagree! Even though Putin’s goal as a dictator, as an oligarch, is “quote, unquote”... “DEMOCRACY: RIP,” we in the U.S. can still stand for our beloved democracy, our republic, and against the tyranny of authoritarianism. We can still vote and continue to have majority rule!

Remember our modern history? FDR to Truman (dem), Truman to Eisenhower (rep), Eisenhower to Kennedy and his VP Lyndon Johnson (dems), Johnson to Nixon and VP Gerald Ford (reps), Ford to Carter (dem), Carter to Reagan (rep), Reagan to George H.W. Bush (rep), Bush to Clinton (dem), Clinton to George W. Bush (rep), Bush to Obama (dem), Obama to Trump (rep) and Trump to Biden (dem) - a pendulum swing of one party to another. All at the direction of the majority voters in the U. S. God Bless America!!!!

Last week, I railed against the disinformation that has become so easy with our modern technology. Scary what it can do, but to counter disinformation, educated voters must read and study broadly.

I was asked several years ago, what sources did I use to formulate my beliefs. I said then, I try to read and hear many sources. Just as the San Saba gentleman I spoke of last week, I try to study many sources so I can formulate my own opinions, and that, as a would-be journalist who loves to read and to write, I have heard it all.

My primary sources, however, are still the sources of mainstream. I listen to ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and MSNBC. I read extensively, always have! If the media are all saying basically the same thing, then that must approximate the truth. These are the sources of long ago, well-respected: Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, William F. Buckley, Jr., Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer, Wolf Blitzer, Dan Rather, all the media, both conservative and liberal ad infinitum, who spend their days searching and researching what is happening in our world.

Have you ever noticed that Joe Scarborough of Morning Joe (MSNBC), liberal, and Rush Limbaugh, conservative, sometimes both sound alike in their emotings?

I read various newspaper and magazine articles of both liberal and conservative persuasions. But, as a good American, I, too, can rant, so I will just end this tirade hoping my good editor will print this as I repeat, “Please say a prayer for our democracy and the United States of America!”