I don't know what is more dangerous, violent protesters following Trump's instructions, or Mary Poppins zombies who pretend Trump had nothing to do with it

The more I see in the news and on Facebook, the more I wonder how did American politics get so messed up?

Take this recent Facebook exchange with an Alabama Republican:

Sloan Bashinsky
As Joe Biden is wont to say, here's the deal. I am fed up with Republicans/MAGAs and their leaders pointing fingers at the Democrats, instead of at their own side, and the same applies to Democrats. In your case, until I see you calling on in public, Facebook will do, for every last one of the mobsters who stormed the national Capitol to be shot dead, and their leaders, too, including Donald Trump, then you are one of them as far as I'm concerned.

Michael
DT didn’t call on the protesters to storm the Capitol. As to those that did, the Justice system will deal with them, hopefully more effectively than they did to the rioters who torched American cities.
Violence is not and can not be the answer to settling our political differences.

Sloan Bashinsky
Trump told them to stop the steal, and they tried. I don't know what is more dangerous, violent protesters following Trump's instructions, or Mary Poppins zombies who pretend Trump had nothing to do with it.

Michael
Democrats need to stop obsessing about DT and listen to their constituents who don’t like the whole progressive agenda pulling the Democrats to the left of center.

Sloan Bashinsky
Republicans need to stop pointing their finger at the Democrats and look in the mirror standing plain before them, which they created.

My thoughts then drifted back to another time and place, when in the space of a few days I had three unexpected visions, which left my heart heaving and rivers of tears running out of my eyes.

Here's the first.

of men, wolves and eagles …

Once upon a time there lived a man named Joseph, who grew tired of living with people and left his village and went into the woods to live.

By and by, a wolf pack discovered Joseph and over time got to know him and that he was not like other men, and eventually they took him into their pack. The leader of the pack was a red wolf named David, and soon David and Joseph became fast friends, and they hunted and played and slept together like . . . wolves.

Then one day, the men in the village where Joseph had lived learned from hunters that Joseph was living with wolves. The men decided it was not right for a man to go off and live in the woods and run with with wolves, so they got their guns and set off to find Joseph and bring him back to the village, to live like a man.

The men came upon the wolf pack sleeping in the sun next to a bluff. The wind was blowing off the bluff, away from the wolf pack toward the men, which prevented the pack from scenting the men as they approached. By the time the wolf pack realized the men were there, the men had the pack surrounded, pinned against the bluff.

David wanted to order the pack to attack, but Joseph said, “No, I am a man, they will listen to reason, let me go and speak with them.” Although David did not like this idea, he agreed to it because Joseph was a man. But the men would not listen to reason and they shot and killed the entire pack and took Joseph heartbroken back to the village.

Joseph languished in the village for many weeks, blaming himself for the death of his pack.

Then, Joseph has a dream, in which he sees David’s face. David is angry, but says nothing, just stares. Finally, Joseph blurts out that he did the best he knew how to do, and he’s so sorry for the way it turned out! David says, “Better that we attacked and died like wolves, than be slaughtered like sheep!”

Then, Joseph is back with the pack, against the bluff, surrounded by the men. David says he wants the pack to attack. Joseph says, “And I will lead the charge!” Then, they hear a voice, the whole pack hears it, say, “There is another way, ask for another way.” Never before have Joseph, David or the pack had such a thing happen, but Joseph asks for another way.

Suddenly, a great bolt of lightning strikes the ground between the pack and the men, stirring up a huge cloud of dust. As the the dust begins to settle, it begins to take the shape of something huge. The wolves and Joseph then see a pair of golden eyes peering from the bushes behind the men. Then a second pair of golden eyes. Then a third pair. Then ten pair. Then a hundred pair. Then a legion of . . . wolves’ eyes. The men are moved by some force to turn around and see what the now delirious pack already see.

Then, the men turn back around and find themselves face to face with a great towering eagle, whose piercing golden eyes penetrate their hearts. Then, they hear, “These are my battle angels. You may leave this place and go back to your village, taking your guns with you, on condition that you tell everyone what has happened here today.”

To this condition the men readily agree, and they return to their village and tell everyone what happened, and they go to nearby villages and tell it.

sloanbashinsky@yahoo.com