Enemy of the State

Pot calling the kettle black.

I didn’t want to write about the impeachment proceedings today.

I wanted to write about one of the best albums of all time celebrating its 50th anniversary. Carole King’s Tapestry was memorable from start to finish and I was thinking I could extol its virtues easily for a thousand words or more. And perhaps some of my former high school readers can help me understand why I can’t think of Tapestry and Carole King’s music without thinking of being at Carol Merriman’s house and watching the Kentucky Derby. Maybe the album cover just invokes these memories somehow. Maybe I was never there. It was high school after all and maybe Carole’s music reminded me of Carol and maybe I just imagined I went there to watch the Derby because it was the cool thing to do.

So, I wanted to traipse down memory lane, listen to the album cover to cover and see if it elicited any other deeply entrenched memories, but then I heard some unknown senator from Utah, meaning the senator who is not Mitt Romney, suggest the man who stoked the flames of insurrection for nearly six months should get, at least, one opportunity for a “do-over.”

Tyrants don’t deserve ‘mulligans’.

*A mulligan, in golf, refers to the informal practice of allowing an opponent to take a second shot after an errant first swing without incurring any penalty on the official scorecard.

Besides. . .

The tyrant on trial today has been given mulligans all of his life. That’s how it is when you are rich, famous, well-connected, no shrinking violet and white.

You get passes for every stupid act you commit.

Then, I was reminded of this. . .

The former president of the United States, a country founded on some of humankind’s most noble ideals, said publicly that one of his citizens, a member of his own party who was merely trying to do his job, and do it well, do it by-the-books, and even though this citizen and his family had voted and financially supported this tawdry despot; this head-of-state, from a country that countries all over the planet look toward for leadership, despite our inability to clothe, feed, house and take care of all of our citizens, despite our inability to refrain from acts of belligerence with the least bit of provocation or tiniest amount of reason, despite our economy spawning billionaire after billionaire and then dragging our feet over a modest rise in the minimum wage, or really anything relative to domestic welfare, despite millions possibly billions of dollars changing hands over bets on a game designed after the Civil War to keep young men satiated with violent collisions and even further obsessed with winning and losing; the man who was once at the top of the heap, for four years the silverback of our nation, who had the power of a dozen suns at his fingertips, armies at his beck and call, the ability to ruin lives with a tweet, or an offhand remark without an editor to file down the edges or blunt the daggers of words, who basically spent four years blundering about the china shop like a bloated steer on amphetamines leaving dung and saliva and irreconcilable damage, as well as ‘reconcilable’, but massive destruction, in his wake, referred to one of the nation’s unheralded public servants, toiling away at his job in one of fifty states, as an. . .

enemy of the state.

So many reprehensible deeds and words and actions attributed to this churlish charlatan but, for some reason, this throwaway line - ‘throwaway’, as far as the antagonist is concerned - sticks in my craw.

I’m not a traditionalist. I’m unorthodox. I want to see the apple cart upset. I want change. Positive, notable, tangible change. It’s the reason we had Obama voters become Tr*mp voters. It’s the reason we had Bernie voters become Tr*mp voters. People are - so - very tired of business-as-usual. Certainly politics-as-usual.

Even though the phrase “draining the swamp” was used by Tr*mp like trainers use chum in a shark tank, his believers believed him. If he had actually accomplished it, I would have applauded.

The former president on trial was a breaker of many molds. It’s what scads of his voters sought. His unleashing online intolerance into the public sphere with the imprimatur of the presidential seal and then ducking behind the first amendment gnawed at me to no end. In a presidency full of egregious acts, it was the bullying behavior that riled me the most.

He thought nothing of destroying lives.

He thought nothing of inciting violence.

Now, he is going to get a mulligan he does not deserve.

---

Carole King’s Tapestry album came out in February of 1971. The Vietnam War was still raging, still unresolved. The trial for the My Lai Massacre, which occurred in 1968 and was not revealed until late in 1969, started on November 17, 1970.

The My Lai Massacre completely shredded the American illusion of honor. At least it did for those paying attention.

The album, of course, had nothing to do with any of that. If anything, it was an antidote for the pain the country was going through. It resonated hope. It celebrated the vagaries of love and the resilience of relationships. It was an honest account of life, love and interpersonal reflections. It was lively and insightful and poignant.

Traveling around sure gets me down and lonely
Nothing else to do but close my mind
I sure hope the road don't come to own me
There's so many dreams I've yet to find

- So Far Away

Is this a lasting treasure
Or just a moment's pleasure
Can I believe the magic of your sighs
Will you still love me tomorrow

- Will You Love Me Tomorrow?

And it's too late, baby, now it's too late
Though we really did try to make it
Something inside has died and I can't hide
And I just can't fake it, oh no no

- It’s Too Late

There. I railed and I reminisced. I feel better. No further memories surfaced but I can report that my random access memory came up with all of the words to all of the Tapestry songs.

Even Smackwater Jack.

I’m a huge fan of the WNBA. I’m a huge fan of the Seattle Storm. I’m a very huge fan of Sue Bird, even though she played for the UConn Huskies. So, no one may appreciate this video of Sue and her partner, Megan Rapinoe, answering 43 relationship questions, like I did.

I’m going to share it anyway.

Also, England’s NHS is putting out these delightful COVID-19 ads featuring Elton John. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading, and welcome to Donna from Frisco, Texas! - JLM