Another week and it’s just getting crazier and crazier. I’m so disgusted and embarrassed by what our country is doing to itself because of that deranged egotistical moron it’s hard to out it into words. If I could leave this country I would. Thanks again for your thoughts Noel.
Absolutely perfect, Noel. You have no idea how hard and loud I have preached against t***p. For YEARS. Everyone told me I was paranoid, imagining things, *he was funny*, that's my favorite. Anyway, then I ran across you on Twitter doing your "car rants" I LOVED what you were saying, because it was everything I'd been saying. I wasn't alone anymore. My husband had passed away, he felt the same, but I had been on my own here in Magaland where I live. You are a blessing, Noel. Not just to me, to everyone that reads your articles. So well-written, easy to understand, and filled with nothing but the truth. You KNOW this maniac, you know him well. People should listen to you. I know I have, and I know I will continue to be one of your biggest fans.
It's with some hesitancy that I share this, but this was a conversation I had on the way home from my grandson's indoor soccer game. Note that he is the only kid on his team who is white.
Questions From the Backseat
Grandpa, what’s ICE?
-It stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement
What’s immigration?
-It’s when people from one country move to another country.
Why do they do that?
-Lot’s of reasons. Maybe they are looking for a better job or a better place to raise kids like you.
Are mama and papa immigrants?
-your mama was born here, but your papa was born in Sweden. He came here to go to school, met your mama, married her, and stayed. He’s a US citizen.
What does ICE do? Is ICE gonna come after papa.
-They are supposed to see if people who are immigrants are breaking the law.
Yeh, but why are they so mean?
-It’s complicated.
Aren’t they breaking the law?
-Probably.
Who makes the laws?
- The laws come from the Constitution and people in Congress called “lawmakers” make the laws.
So, if ICE kills somebody, isn’t that against the law?
-Yep, they gotta obey the law.
So why do they do it? Shouldn’t they go to jail?
-How do you know about this? Are you watching the news on TV?
No
- Then how do you know?
Mama gives her phone to me sometimes when she’s working in her office and I read the NY Times.
-You read the NY Times?!? Are you kidding?
No grandpa, it’s right there on her phone.
-Any other questions? That’s a lot of questions for an 8 year old.
Have you ever seen any ICE guys?
-Yes.
Where? When?
-In Portland this summer.
What were they doing? Did they have guns?
-Yes, the were standing around the ICE jail with their guns.
Did they hurt people like they are doing in Minneapolis.
-yes.
Why? Were the people they were hurting breaking the law?
-It’s complicated, But the people they were hurting weren’t breaking the law.
Who are those guys with the white pointy hats and the two eye holes from olden times? Were you alive then?
-You mean the Ku Klux Klan?
yes , them. what a funny name, what does it mean?
-I don’t know what it means.
Are they still alive.
-Yes, but there are a smaller number of them then what used to be, in olden times.
Are they like ICE?
- Oh boy, another complicated question. I’m trying to drive.
Didn’t they kill people too? Was your house ever set fire on, or bombed?
-My house was never set fire on or bombed.
But didn’t they set people’s houses on fire and set off bombs?
-Yes. Why don’t we stop at Starbucks for a snack. OK? It’s really good that you ask questions and that you are reading the NY Times. And it’s good to talk about this stuff.
Why?
-Because in 10 years you’ll be old enough to vote and it’s important. We’ll talk more later.
"I am not suggesting we accept the lesser of two evils, but instead realize we are truly in a battle for the soul of our nation. We must train our awareness of the full scale of the audacious horror they are imposing on us." I always eagerly await your beautiful, insightful posts. I taught for 25 years and my 14 year old grandson lives with me. This post drew me to a new worry: Our children were damaged intellectually and psychologically during COVID. Scores are way down, and certain life skills were never learned. So what happens to the children in school during this cosplaying Nazi regime? My grandson is old enough to worry about ICE barging into his school and kidnapping classmates. He came home terrified of the "death box" tactic ICE used to kill Renee Good. He asks what to do if ICE knocks on our door or even busts it open. Are other school children being traumatized in this way as well?
We must resist now. We must. And JD Vance (pseudonym with many prior names attached). Everyone loathes him. They will not play fiddle for him as everyone else has done for Trump. He has nothing of the mafia tough guy about him. He is an abject failure at communicating.
Not that I, or anyone reading this, need one, but we need a leader. Like right now. To move the masses. The middle. Whatever that is. Waj’s 5 points are a good road map
A brilliant piece and call Noel. We must demolish this Regime in whole, by peaceful strategic action as long as possible. At the same time we must never acquiesce to this Regime and lose our democracy.
As a side note I have have long suspected what Putin has on Trump is the same kind of material that the Epstein files may contain; it is not only about his molestation and rape of very young girls, as horrific as that is, it could also involve their male counterparts.
Another week and it’s just getting crazier and crazier. I’m so disgusted and embarrassed by what our country is doing to itself because of that deranged egotistical moron it’s hard to out it into words. If I could leave this country I would. Thanks again for your thoughts Noel.
It is difficult, if not impossible to read your Column today, Noel, and not want to scream!
It rings like Patrick Henry’s call to his new Nation.
We must do something. All of us must do something to resist. Now, before its too late.
Absolutely perfect, Noel. You have no idea how hard and loud I have preached against t***p. For YEARS. Everyone told me I was paranoid, imagining things, *he was funny*, that's my favorite. Anyway, then I ran across you on Twitter doing your "car rants" I LOVED what you were saying, because it was everything I'd been saying. I wasn't alone anymore. My husband had passed away, he felt the same, but I had been on my own here in Magaland where I live. You are a blessing, Noel. Not just to me, to everyone that reads your articles. So well-written, easy to understand, and filled with nothing but the truth. You KNOW this maniac, you know him well. People should listen to you. I know I have, and I know I will continue to be one of your biggest fans.
Thank you Noel. Beautifully written
Thanks for the kind words, and beyond sorry for the loss of your husband. Sounds like a good man. We will ALL stay in the fight together🙏
It's with some hesitancy that I share this, but this was a conversation I had on the way home from my grandson's indoor soccer game. Note that he is the only kid on his team who is white.
Questions From the Backseat
Grandpa, what’s ICE?
-It stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement
What’s immigration?
-It’s when people from one country move to another country.
Why do they do that?
-Lot’s of reasons. Maybe they are looking for a better job or a better place to raise kids like you.
Are mama and papa immigrants?
-your mama was born here, but your papa was born in Sweden. He came here to go to school, met your mama, married her, and stayed. He’s a US citizen.
What does ICE do? Is ICE gonna come after papa.
-They are supposed to see if people who are immigrants are breaking the law.
Yeh, but why are they so mean?
-It’s complicated.
Aren’t they breaking the law?
-Probably.
Who makes the laws?
- The laws come from the Constitution and people in Congress called “lawmakers” make the laws.
So, if ICE kills somebody, isn’t that against the law?
-Yep, they gotta obey the law.
So why do they do it? Shouldn’t they go to jail?
-How do you know about this? Are you watching the news on TV?
No
- Then how do you know?
Mama gives her phone to me sometimes when she’s working in her office and I read the NY Times.
-You read the NY Times?!? Are you kidding?
No grandpa, it’s right there on her phone.
-Any other questions? That’s a lot of questions for an 8 year old.
Have you ever seen any ICE guys?
-Yes.
Where? When?
-In Portland this summer.
What were they doing? Did they have guns?
-Yes, the were standing around the ICE jail with their guns.
Did they hurt people like they are doing in Minneapolis.
-yes.
Why? Were the people they were hurting breaking the law?
-It’s complicated, But the people they were hurting weren’t breaking the law.
Who are those guys with the white pointy hats and the two eye holes from olden times? Were you alive then?
-You mean the Ku Klux Klan?
yes , them. what a funny name, what does it mean?
-I don’t know what it means.
Are they still alive.
-Yes, but there are a smaller number of them then what used to be, in olden times.
Are they like ICE?
- Oh boy, another complicated question. I’m trying to drive.
Didn’t they kill people too? Was your house ever set fire on, or bombed?
-My house was never set fire on or bombed.
But didn’t they set people’s houses on fire and set off bombs?
-Yes. Why don’t we stop at Starbucks for a snack. OK? It’s really good that you ask questions and that you are reading the NY Times. And it’s good to talk about this stuff.
Why?
-Because in 10 years you’ll be old enough to vote and it’s important. We’ll talk more later.
Your grandson sounds like a very impressive young man and future leader! Well done!
IThese times remind me of another Brandi Carlile song:
"They come to kick dirt in your face
To call you weak and then displace you
After carrying your baby on your back across the desert
I saw your eyes behind your hair
And you're looking tired, but you don't look scared..."
I love this cover of "The Story."
https://youtu.be/zi_XPQ4tq40?si=5TSrPjPsjel6oeK1
"I am not suggesting we accept the lesser of two evils, but instead realize we are truly in a battle for the soul of our nation. We must train our awareness of the full scale of the audacious horror they are imposing on us." I always eagerly await your beautiful, insightful posts. I taught for 25 years and my 14 year old grandson lives with me. This post drew me to a new worry: Our children were damaged intellectually and psychologically during COVID. Scores are way down, and certain life skills were never learned. So what happens to the children in school during this cosplaying Nazi regime? My grandson is old enough to worry about ICE barging into his school and kidnapping classmates. He came home terrified of the "death box" tactic ICE used to kill Renee Good. He asks what to do if ICE knocks on our door or even busts it open. Are other school children being traumatized in this way as well?
I share your concerns, thanks for sharing this and I will address these issues in a future post. Thank you for being a teacher. True heroes. Peace.
Blessings and keep up being the Town Crier who tries to alert the citizens to the dangers surrounding us.
Again…thank you for your inspirational writing.
We must resist now. We must. And JD Vance (pseudonym with many prior names attached). Everyone loathes him. They will not play fiddle for him as everyone else has done for Trump. He has nothing of the mafia tough guy about him. He is an abject failure at communicating.
Not that I, or anyone reading this, need one, but we need a leader. Like right now. To move the masses. The middle. Whatever that is. Waj’s 5 points are a good road map
A brilliant piece and call Noel. We must demolish this Regime in whole, by peaceful strategic action as long as possible. At the same time we must never acquiesce to this Regime and lose our democracy.
As a side note I have have long suspected what Putin has on Trump is the same kind of material that the Epstein files may contain; it is not only about his molestation and rape of very young girls, as horrific as that is, it could also involve their male counterparts.
I say it every week to Noel’s column. Be defiant. Resist. Do it peacefully. Find joy in others. Every action matters. Doing nothing is not an option.