September 30, 2024: Grandfather Taken From Us, To Laugh Again, Some Mischief

 

“Tim Walz is the grandfather taken from us by Rush Limbaugh and Rupert Murdoch”

              ----Anonymous

The author of the quote above is lost to history. It comes down to me from a conversation on a talk show in which the speaker could not recall who it was he was quoting or where it came from but I cite it here because it is so true.

Conservative, reactionary, hate radio and it's television counterpart have stolen one of life's treasures: a jolly, loving and caring grandfather. Old Grandpa has morphed under the constant bullshit of rage media into a bitter, cynical, cruel and hateful old man. In short, a Maggot. And nothing demonstrates how far it has gone, how much we have lost, than the emergence of the buoyant, cheerful, caring governor of Minnesota as the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States. To put joy back into our politics, to laugh again is to demonstrate what Grandfather's everywhere used to do: put joy and fun into our lives. It was up to our parents to set the rules and instill discipline. It was up to Grandpa to break the rules and have fun. After all, he would, after some mischief, simply hand us back to our parents with no apologies. It was grandpa who showed up disguised as Santa on Christmas dispensing fudge literally by the pound. It was Grandpa who took us to the ball game. It was Grandpa who fed us Ice Cream.

Oh, what the fascist Hate mongers have wrought.

Walz has been billed as an attack dog for the campaign. I don't see it. His critique of Disgustus and everything he represents hits home. But his style is to point out the absurdity of it all rather than a full-blown frontal assault. And, remember, laughter is enabling. Laughter is uplifting. Laughter empowers rather than diminishes. Laughter is polite and all the more powerful in its politeness. Laughter is civilized. When he meets Shady Vance it will be more of an exercise in introducing long overdue civility than anything else.

And that will be welcome relief from this interminable nightmare of fear and loathing.