Monday Meanders 11-1

Today is All Saint's Day, a Holy Day of Obligation in the Roman Catholic Church. The day after All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, which some say is the current incarnation of the ancient Irish celebration of Samhain, and the day before All Soul's Day. Being the person that I am (one who enjoys a certain touch of irony now and again), I find it ironic (see?) that in the current thinking of the Church, moving things around for convenience like the Government does to Holidays, the actual Day of Obligation is Sunday, October 31st, for this particular All Saint's Day. Halloween. A pagan holiday.

When I was a kid, you had to abstain from meat on Friday. The Mass was in Latin. And Holy Days of Obligation that fell on Monday were celebrated on Monday. The whole school went to Mass in the morning. Because it was a Holy Day of Obligation.

On the other hand, when I was a kid, Memorial Day was celebrated on May 31st. In fact, ANY holiday was celebrated on the day it naturally fell to - not on the nearest Monday, like now. But the changes were made - for money. For 'business'.

Continuing in the same vein ....

There was a time when you could believe what you read in the newspaper. Or heard on the radio. Or watched on television newscasts. There was a time when Fox News would have been accused of "Yellow Journalism". There was a time when the phrase "Yellow Journalism" meant something - and it wasn't anything you EVER wanted your news organization accused of.

And a sidebar thought ...

Are you as tired as I am of hearing the negative campaign ads that have dominated electioneering this time around? Do you know why there's so much?
Because the Supreme Court decided that Corporations have the same freedom of speech as you or I do. That they are 'entities' like you or I. Which is fine as far as it goes. But suddenly - their voices are far louder than mine. They can afford to buy TV time to express their opinion about this or that candidate, this or that idea, this or that thing you should or should not vote for.

My voice isn't that loud. I have no such access to resources, to funds to express my support for this or that candidate, or idea, or thing. And that's what isn't fair about what the Supreme Court has done.

Business doesn't like the same things you and I do. Business worships money. The Bottom Line. And anything that injures, harms or minimizes the Bottom Line is anathema to business.

Business doesn't like taxes - they would minimize what they pay in taxes in order to enhance the Bottom Line. But if they don't pay taxes ... SOMEBODY has to. Guess who.

Business doesn't like 'The Minimum Wage'. They would see it minimized. If the minimum wage is reduced, guess who suffers.

Business doesn't like Government. Government introduces rules and regulations which get in the way of 'doing business', and have a negative effect on the Bottom Line.

It's ugly out there right now. And it ain't gonna get much prettier any time soon - not with the way things have been going.

Get out and vote tomorrow. If you stay home - if you don't vote and make what little voice you have heard - then whatever happens, you have no right to complain.

I didn't start out to write this like I did. I just went with the flow. Some of these thoughts have been building in me for some time. This is nowhere near the whole list of things that have been on my mind, but politics and religion are the two taboo subjects here. Two things I will not normally talk about. Strictly speaking, this has not been political. It's just that I see us on the road to Hell and I don't know what anybody is ever going to be able to do about it.

I'm not sorry about it - at least, not for me. I'm sorry for my kids, and THEIR kids, and all the kids that will come after them. I fear for what they will find we have left for them.

Ndinombethe.