The date is Sunday 22nd January 2017.
On Friday, I avoided all coverage and commentary of the US presidential inauguration. On Saturday, I couldn't avoid seeing the fall-out and debate after the event.
Three hours ago, the newly installed president's press secretary stood in front of the White House press corps and berated "sections" of them for misreporting crowd sizes during the inauguration. He then proceeded to justify this with lies. I won't go into the many lies he used, but needless to say the evidence is readily available for those who choose to fact-check.
Earlier on Saturday I was part of a discussion about the concept of accepting everyone's opinion, even if they're wrong. The conversation was very civil and no names were called or insults thrown. We debated the nuances of what makes one argument "right" and another "wrong" and when there are times of greyness. All agreed that in a majority of cases there is a definite right answer, with scientific basis. Having an opposing view doesn't automatically make one wrong, it requires further investigation. It was a very interesting and thought provoking conversation on social media and I enjoyed taking part.
I recently heard a public figure point out that nothing is "meh" any more - that there was a time not long ago when things were "meh," a sort of shrug-of-the-shoulders, just-okay type of status. In 2017, it would seem that "meh" isn't allowed. If you don't agree with an opinion, you must therefore take a contrary and apposite view. Sometimes, I don't agree with someone on social media or on the news, but I can't say I have strong feelings to the extreme alternative; I'm just a bit "meh." But this isn't allowed in current rhetoric. I sit quietly disagreeing with both extremes, wondering what happened to the middle ground.
The new American president would have you believe that you're either on his side - the side of the little guy, middle class, white Americans - or you're a raging socialist equal to the Nazis of 1930s Germany (check out some of his campaign speeches for veracity of this). Now I'm a left-wing liberal feminist as much as the next person, but isn't it time we embraced the middle ground again? DJT's first act as president was to lift the climate- and water-protection laws to allow big energy companies free reign again. I understand that he's a climate change denier, but surely he could have found a way to loosen the restrictions on energy companies without actually legalising water pollution again? Am I wrong in assuming that he understands the laws he's repealing? Or is he just taking requests from his business buddies and acting on them without hesitation, deviation or repetition?
A recent survey showed that people in 20 of the world's most affluent and advanced nations believe that the world is getting "worse" - defined in the survey as more divided, more unjust and more extreme. As I see it, extremists in power force the "other side" to their extreme and the divide opens further. Until the extremists stop running the world, it'll only get worse. Unless World War III breaks out. Then we'll be up the creek...
While all of this is going on in the world around me, I sit quietly waiting for test results that will hopefully tell me if my current health condition is curable or permanent, treatable or not. I don't know what's in store for my joints, my memory or my eyesight. Nor do I know what will happen with my oldest son, who is currently waiting for a psychological review. Furthermore, my husband is in a temporary job, with no certainty over his future. My younger son seems blissfully unaware of the chaos around him and appears to sail through life. Long may it continue! However I decided earlier this month that my new resolution is simply a positive outlook: if I can't say something nice, say nothing; if I don't know how something will turn out, assume the best; prepare for the worst but hope for the best - there's that word "hope" again.
I will continue to fight for justice and equality in the wider world, I will fight for the best for my children and their peer group, I will support my husband in his fight for the career he deserves and I will fight for my own health and wellbeing. Everything I do is done in the spirit of hope and I won't let uncertainty and fear change my attitude. My kids still think they have a great life and as of Saturday afternoon they think they have awesome parents - I'm not going to disabuse them of those beliefs!
Let me be challenged, bring on the questions; I'll answer with truth and fairness. But sometimes I'll be happy in the middle ground, with my incomplete opinions, and you can't stop me.
Peace and love
FG x
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