July 10, 2021
In July, living in Maine is often like living in a painting. After being on the water all day, I am falling into bed and letting my friend Peter take the wheel with a picture that captures the wonder around us in these magical summer days.
I'll see you tomorrow.
["Easting," by Peter Ralston.]
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Notes:
Peter provides photos sometimes for this project because he’s nice, but he is indeed a professional photographer. If you want to know more about his work, you can find him at his studio in Rockport, Maine, or at www.ralstongallery.com.
Heather, I want to thank you for your scholarship, compelling Letter lessons and deep concern for our country.
Peter Ralston, I gasped at first sight of 'Easting'. It is captivatingly beautiful. Thank you.
Yesterday’s Letter ran deep: the 13th and 14th amendments, the Dred Scott decision, Reconstruction, a lot to absorb. Along with reviewing it again, I won’t be able to stop myself from drifting into thought about how bizarre and frightening it is in America.
Stories of gun violence are nonstop. Climate catastrophes are continuous, along with the climate deniers. Some members of the family, neighbors and people in the news believe weird stuff. Governors, elected representatives and television personalities are saying things and doing stuff that can literally kill us. The deep cleavage in our democracy has been driving us further apart. I know it’s Sunday morning and who wants to hear this? I’m sorry; there is no place to hide because this crazy talk is in our minds even though we don’t believe a word of it.
This afternoon, without looking I came across an interview telling readers about what two old White men are cooking up. There could not have been a more down to earth wakeup call
‘It’s the Bernie and Joe show.’
‘At 79, Bernie Sanders is a man on a mission, laser-focused on a list that represents trillions of dollars in government spending that he deems essential.
‘He has changed the whole debate in the nation’s capital. He is the guy trying to yank his party back to its working-class roots and steer President Biden in a bolder, more progressive direction.’
‘Mirabile dictu: A president and senator who are both pushing 80, men who were underestimated and dismissed for years in Democratic circles, are now teaming up to transform the country. It’s the Bernie and Joe show’
‘Sanders passionately believes that the only way to undo the damage done by Donald Trump and Trumpism is by showing that government can deliver, that good policy can overcome dangerous conspiracy theories and lies.’
“It’s absolutely imperative if democracy is to survive that we do everything that we can to say, ‘Yes, we hear your pain and we are going to respond to your needs.’ That’s really what this is about. If we don’t do that, I fear very much that conspiracy theories and big lies and the drift toward authoritarianism is going to continue. You got all these folks out there who are saying, ‘Does anybody pay attention to me?’ (The NY Times)
That’s all you’ll get from me of the Bernie and Joe show. For more, please read his interview with Maureen Dowd, link below. Bernie is the best news in my book. I hope that his spirit, determination and plans for America light your fire.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/10/opinion/bernie-sanders-interview-maureen-dowd.html
My thoughts about President Biden's executive order on getting businesses to be competitive makes me think that Biden presidency is not only in the model of FDR but also of Teddy Roosevelt with his monopoly busting. So, I'm expecting the next thing he does in the Teddy vein will be the revival of our National Parks and even deeding the Black Hills back to their rightful Native American owners.